
Class 

Book 

Copyright N° 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



THE TWENTIETH 
CENTURY REVIVAL 



A Call to prater 

GET READY FOR 
THE GREAT AWAKENING 



REV. HENRY B. ROLLER, 

Author of "The Young Christian' ' and "The 
Mature Christian." 



Cmctmuttlr 
JENNINGS AND GRAHAM 

EATON AND MAINS 



\ \ \ 






Copyright, 1911, 

Jennings and Graham. 



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x 



©CLA286297 





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To 

(Hktxzfhm W&tkttSt 

Preachers, Pastors, Evangelists, and Missionaries 

Throughout the World, 

And All Whose Prayer Is, 

"O Lord, Revive Thy Work." 

(litis &T£8ril&£ 

Is Affectionately Dedicated 
By the Author. 



PREFATORY. 

The writer does not take up this theme as a 
matter of choice, but is driven to this arduous 
task by an inward impulse, which has forced 
itself upon him after days of meditation, includ- 
ing fasting and prayer on the subject, since he 
shrank repeatedly from the responsibility of 
writing on this topic. 

Observing that the tendency of this age is to 
seek popularity, the writer has refrained from 
thus going before the public. Copies of the 
"Prayer Circle" manuscript contained in this 
book have been sent to leading pastors, Divines, 
and Evangelists in this country and Europe and 
presented before various Ministerial Associa- 
tions, and have brought the most flattering testi- 
monials and encouragement to the writer, but 
he still refused to make the plan public. 

Although religious periodicals offered to pub- 
lish the plan for the "Prayer Circle" in full, the 
writer refused to let it go before the Church and 
world. But after being clearly impressed that 
the only way to please the Lord and clear his 
own conscience, the author has been induced to 
write this book and submit the plan for the 
"Prayer Circle" to the Church and general pub- 
lic ; but in deepest humility and tender modesty, 

5 



PREFATORY 

he pleads not to give him any credit, but to give 
God all the glory. 

The only satisfaction the writer hopes to get 
by this submission to the leading of God's guid- 
ing hand is that "The Great Awakening" may 
be hastened in this way and that soon the flames 
of God's heavenly fire will be ablaze all over this 
country and in foreign lands. 

The writer has laid the chief emphasis on 
prayer, since he is confident that through this 
agency the "Great Awakening" is to be brought 
down on this earth. For fear that the reader 
might overlook the importance of prayer, the 
writer has let that theme run through the entire 
book, so as to place proper emphasis upon the 
medium through which the revival is to be ob- 
tained. 

Those who have followed the pen of the 
writer in the past, reading "The Young Chris- 
tian'' in this country and in the various transla- 
tions in Europe and Asia, will be grateful for 
the help and suggestions given in this volume 
and will no doubt assist in circulating this book, 
and for all he wishes to thank the readers. 

The Author. 



INTRODUCTION. 

The following are a few of the many state- 
ments of approval which have been sent to the 
author of this book commending this plan to 
pastors, Christian workers, and the Churches: 

"Revivals are born and nourished in prayer. 
The only great awakenings the Church has ever 
known have been such as the above described. 
The formation of an Interdenominational Prayer 
Circle in America has my enthusiastic support. 
I have examined carefully the literature and am 
prepared to give it my thorough endorsement, 
and will use my utmost influence to form such 
Prayer Circles in connection with my meetings 
as may be possible. I know the author of the 
Prayer Circle, Rev. Henry B. Roller, who is 
himself a successful and honored evangelist. No 
greater movement could to-day be started than 
such as he indicates in his book. 

"J. Wilbur Chapman/' 

"The most important feature of a revival is 
prayer. Every true revival has been the child 
of prayer. There have been revivals without 
much preaching and absolutely no organization, 

7 



INTRODUCTION 

but there has never been a mighty revival with- 
out mighty praying. 

"I hope this Prayer Circle that is proposed 
by our brother, Rev. Henry B. Roller, for this 
country may be richly blessed of God. 

"R. A. Torrey." 

"New York. 
"Dear Brother Roller: 

"Believing as I do that prayer is the pass- 
word to all great and good things for our own 
souls and others, and having proven what mira- 
cles its power can accomplish in the reaching 
and redeeming of tens of thousands, I feel sure 
that your effort to bring the citizens of this great 
country closer to the throne of all sufficient and 
abundant grace can not fail to be of mighty 
and widespread blessing. 

"Evangeline Booth, 
<( Commander Salvation Army/' 

"Chicago, III. 
"Dear Brother Roller: 

"I heartily endorse the organization of the 
Interdenominational Prayer Circle of America 
and the world, and commend your plan of mak- 
ing it operative in every local society and church 
throughout our land. Marvelous miracles of 
grace and spiritual achievements are possible 
through the power of united prayer. I am 
pleased with the literature you have prepared 
and shall do my utmost in the formation of 
Prayer Circles in our denomination as well as 

8 



INTRODUCTION 

elsewhere. I shall be glad to help along your 

noble movement. It is surely God-inspired and 

will ultimately result in great blessing to all the 

Churches in America. ^ , , , , 

G. M. Matthews, 

"Resident Bishop of the Church of the United 

Brethren in Christ." 

The following resolution was unanimously 
adopted by the Indianapolis (Ind.) Union 
Preachers' Meeting: 

''Believing as we do in the efficiency and 
power of prayer, we heartily appreciate the ef- 
forts to unify the Christian people of America 
for earnest prayer for a revival, as set forth by 
Rev. Henry B. Roller in the Interdenominational 
Prayer Circle of America and of the world, of 
which he is the author. 

"M. L. Haines, Pres." 

"J. B. Cowan, Secretary" 

"Swansee, Wales. 
"Dear Brother Roller: 

"If the Lord leads me to America, I shall 
be glad to call on you. I am glad of the Prayer 
Circle organized by you. May the Lord bless 
it abundantly for the sake of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. "Yours in Him, 

"Evan Roberts/' 

"GrEEncastle, Ind. 
"Dear Brother Roller: 

"I am greatly interested in your letter and 
manuscript received a few hours ago. The holy 

9 



INTRODUCTION 

act of intercessory prayer more and more ap- 
peals to me, and therein lies the answer for the 
cry of the people to-day as nowhere else. May 
your Prayer Circle plan be the means of accom- 
plishing what a plan on no other subject could 
accomplish, a real Prayer Revival. Its results 
are already becoming apparent. Enlist those 
who pray in the name of Jesus, and the whole 
Church will reap the harvest. 

"My love to you, dear brother, 

"HENRY OSTROM." 
"MONTlCELLO, Ind. 

"My Dear Brother Roller: 

"I have read and reread your manuscript 
and I am sure that no suggestion of mine could 
improve it any. You certainly have been wisely 
guided in its preparation, having within a nar- 
row scope every essential feature of the plan 
and at the same time leaving out everything 
irrelevant to the subject. I believe the hour 
has struck for a movement of this kind in Amer- 
ica, and it seems you are the one God is to use 
in launching it. I trust most earnestly that it 
may have a gracious reception among the 
Churches of the land. Cordially, 

"W. E. Biederwolf." 

"Highland Park, III. 
"My Dear Brother Roller: 

"Greeting: Yours of the 15th inst. is before 
me. ' I am heartily in sympathy with the purpose 
indicated in the manuscripts which I enclose. I 

10 



INTRODUCTION 

join with you in prayer that a great quickening 
may come to the Church. 

"Yours sincerely, 

"William F. Heil." 
(The above is Bishop of the United Evangel- 
ical Church.) 

"Chicago, III. 

"Resolved, That we, the Methodist Preach- 
ers' Meeting of Chicago, 111., have heard the 
presentation of the Interdenominational Prayer 
Circle of America, as given by the Rev. Henry 
B. Roller, the founder, with the deepest interest 
and most heartily commend the plan set forth 
by our brother, since we believe that the Lord 
will set His seal upon this movement, and that 
many souls will be added to Christ's Kingdom 
and to the Churches as a result of this organi- 
zation. 

"Ray C. Harker, Vice-President. 

"C. L. Hay, Secretary." 

"Boston, Mass. 
"My Dear Brother Roller: 

"I have read your Interdenominational 
Prayer Circle manuscript with interest, and it 
has many good things in it. God works in an- 
swer to prayer. If we trust in education, money, 
organization, or social position we will get what 
these things can bring, but if we trust God, 
we will get what He can do. 

"It will give me pleasure to join your Prayer 
Circle and to serve on any committee that may 

ii 



INTRODUCTION 

have for its object the fostering of a prayerful 
spirit. Cordially yours, 

"A. C. Dixon." 

"Cincinnati, Ohio. 
"Resolved, That the Methodist Preachers' 
Meeting at Cincinnati, Ohio, endorses the organ- 
ization of the 'Interdenominational Prayer Circle 
of America' and approves of the plans set forth 
by the order of Rev. Henry B. Roller. We be- 
lieve the Lord will bless a movement of this 
kind." 

"Winona Lake, Ind. 

"The following resolution was passed by the 
Interdenominational Association of Evangelists, 
numbering more than two hundred approved 
evangelists : 

'Resolved, That the Interdenominational As- 
sociation of Evangelists most heartily approve 
of the Interdenominational Prayer Circle of 
America and the world, founded and organized 
by Rev. Henry B. Roller, and that we will use 
the plan in our revival meetings, and mast heart- 
ily commend it to all pastors and Christian work- 
ers for their meetings and Church work, since we 
are fully persuaded that our brother was divinely 
guided in inaugurating this movement. We be- 
lieve that a great spiritual awakening will come 
to the Churches wherever the Prayer Circle 
movement may be carried out, and will do much 
toward hastening a general spiritual awakening 
throughout America and the world, for which 

12 



INTRODUCTION 

thousands are to be enlisted in prayer through 
this agency." 

Various Church papers and religious periodi- 
cals have devoted much space to this subject, but 
we can only give brief quotations from a few: 

The Christian Work and Evangelist, report- 
ing on this topic, heads an article "An Important 
and Significant Movement/' from which we take 
a few lines: "A religious movement of interest 
has been started under the title of The Interde- 
nominational Prayer Circle of America. Its ob- 
ject is to induce a more general habit of prayer 
among Christians, the means of awakening a 
greater religious feeling among others and 
spreading this ardor the world over. Rev. Henry 
B. Roller is the founder of the new organization. 
Mr. Roller's doctrine is that genuine revivals 
are not world-made or artificial, but that they 
come inspirationally from God as the reward of 
earnest and fervent prayer." 

The Central Christian Advocate. — "An Inter- 
denominational Prayer Circle of America has 
been organized. Rev. H. B. Roller, evangelist, 
is the leader in the movement which has re- 
sulted in this organization. The movement has 
received the endorsement of Rev. J. Wilbur 
Chapman, D. D., Rev. R. A. Torrey, D. D., 
Evan Roberts, of Wales, and other ministers and 
evangelists of equal note. The Prayer Circle 
is a union of all denominations and creeds in 

13 



INTRODUCTION 

America, who will agree to pray for a more gen- 
eral revival in the United States of America, 
and for the entire Western Hemisphere. No 
subscription is required and no constitution or 
by-laws to bind as the Prayer Circle is by no 
means to come in conflict with any Church or 
benevolent organization, but is to be an auxiliary 
to existing organizations of the Church." 

The Union Signal says: "The Prayer Circle 
of America, a movement inaugurated by Rev. 
Henry B. Roller, under the guidance of God is 
sweeping out into proportions that bespeak for 
it a world-wide membership. Every such work 
as this calls out the endorsement of believers." 

The Methodist Protestant, in an article of 
about two columns on "The Prayer Circle of 
America," comments as follows: "Rev. H. B. 
Roller, a widely known evangelist, has started a 
religious movement that proposes to become of 
National scope. It is the organization of a 
mighty phalanx of praying people moving against 
the strongholds of Satan. It will be seen that the 
plan includes private prayer, public and family 
prayer as well. We do not only heartily endorse 
such a movement, but we believe it can be made 
one of the greatest agencies in the kingdom of 
God for the salvation of the world." 

« The Interior, in an article entitled, "Prayer 
Circle for the Whole Country," by Rev. Henry 
B. Roller, comments on this organization most 



INTRODUCTION 

encouragingly and says, among other things : 
"Its purpose is to enlist as many Church people 
as possible, in all denominations and throughout 
the country, for definite, covenanted prayer, in- 
voking revival. It is hoped that local circles 
will spring up in many communities, but indi- 
vidual Christians may enroll themselves as par- 
ticipants in this service, even though separated 
from others disposed to join/' etc. 



15 



CONTENTS. 



Chapter Pagb 

I. Prayer Circles For Revivals, - - 19 

II. The Need of a General Awakening, 38 

III. The Divine and the Human Elements 

in Revivals, - 44 

IV. Men and Methods in Revivals, - 5* 
V. Revival History and Development, 58 

VI. The Kind of Revival Needed, - - 66 

VII. Present Indications for a General 

Revival, 79 

VIII. New Developments Favorable for a 

General Revival, - - - - 87 

IX. Thoughts on Present Day Evangelism, 94 

X. A Call to Prayer for a Great 

Awakening, - 109 



17 



CHAPTER I. 

The Interdenominational Prayer 

Circle of America and the 

World. 

A CALL FOR PRAYER. 

FOR A HEAVEN-BORN AND GENERAI, REVIVAL. 

The founder of this Prayer Circle who re- 
ceived this plan from the Lord while spending 
days in fasting, solitude, and prayer, desires that 
the reader look away from man and look only 
to God, from whom real help will come. 

Promises to plead: "For thus sayeth the 
high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, 
whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and 
the holy place, with him also that is of a con- 
trite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the 
humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite 
ones." — Isa. 57: 15. "Moreover as for me, God 
forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceas- 
ing to pray for you: but I will teach you the 
good and right way : Only, fear the Lord and 
serve Him in truth with all your heart : for con- 

19 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

sider how great things he hath done for you." — 
i Sam. 12 : 23. "Call upon me and I will answer 
thee, and show thee great and mighty things, 
which thou knowest not." — Jer. 33 : 3. "O Lord, 
I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O 
Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years, 
in the midst of the years make known ; in wrath 
remember mercy." — Hab. 3 : 2. "Ask, and it 
shall be given you ; seek and ye shall find ; knock 
and it shall be opened unto you : For every one 
that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh find- 
eth ; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." 
—Matt. 7:7-8. 

"Then he said unto his disciples, The har- 
vest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few ; 
Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that 
he will send forth labourers into his harvest." — 
Matt. 9 : 2>7, 38. "And all things whatsoever ye 
shall ask in prayer believing, ye shall receive." — 
Matt. 21 : 22. "Again I say unto you, that if two 
of you shall agree on earth as touching anything 
that they shall ask it, shall be done for them 
of my Father which is in heaven. For where 
two or three are gathered together in my name, 
there am I in the midst of them." — Matt. 
18: 19, 20. 

Results to expect: "Wilt thou not revive us 
again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? 
Show us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy 
salvation. I will hear what God the Lord will 
speak: for he will speak peace unto his people 
and to his saints : but let them not turn again to 
folly. Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear 

20 



THE PRAYER CIRCLE 

f 
him : that glory may dwell in our land." — Ps. 
85 : 6-9. "And it shall come to pass in the last 
days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit 
upon all flesh : and your sons and your daughters 
shall prophesy, and your young men shall see vis- 
ions and your old men shall dream dreams." — 
Acts 2:17. "Therefore I say unto you, what 
things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe 
that ye receive them and ye shall have them." — 
Mark 11:24. "And whatsoverwe ask, we re- 
ceive of him because we keep his commandments, 
and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 
And this is his commandment, That we should 
believe on the name of his son Jesus Christ and 
love one another, as he gave us commandment." 
— 1 John 3 : 22, 23. "If ye shall ask anything in 
my name, I will do it." — John 14 : 14. "I will 
heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: 
for mine anger is turned away from him. I will 
be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the 
lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His 
branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be 
as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. They 
that dwell under his shadow shall return; they 
shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: 
the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Leba- 
non." — Hosea 14 : 4-8. "If my people, which are 
called by my name, shall humble themselves, 
and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their 
wicked ways : then will I hear from heaven, and 
will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." — 
2 Chron. 7 : 14. 

Realizing that we are certainly in need of a 
21 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

deep, general and thorough revival in our coun- 
try, and knowing that every true and great re- 
vival of every age and nation has come down 
from heaven as an answer to united and earnest 
prayer of God's people, the founder of this 
Prayer Circle wishes to submit the contents of 
this book to every minister and Christian worker 
in America and the world as a help to soul- 
winning. 

We are certainly grateful to God for such 
abundant blessings throughout our country in 
the past few years, but we want a band of pray- 
ing people, numbering many thousands, touch- 
ing every part of the land, who will pray for 
a general revival that will reach every city, town, 
village, hamlet, rural district, and if possible 
every home in America and then extend to other 
parts of the world. We are not to limit God as 
to time, but keep on praying until this general 
awakening comes. We believe Prayer Circles 
will help to stir an interest in uniting the pray- 
ing forces from ocean to ocean, and that great 
and mighty things for Christ's kingdom will be 
the result. 

Certainly thousands are ready to enlist in 
this petition for showers of divine blessings so 
long delayed. The Prayer Circle is to be inter- 
denominational, so that all, regardless of creed 
or Church, or of no Church can unite in the plea 
for the Heavenly Father to hasten the latter 
rain, of which we are having the droppings now. 
O, that God would soon send the showers to 
the thirsty land. Worldliness is striving for the 

22 



THE PRAYER CIRCLE 

mastery and many have lost their first love and 
grown cold in the Lord's service. We need a 
revival of divine warmth which brings down the 
showers from heaven. We are helpless, but we 
can call upon God, who has promised to deliver 
in time of trouble. The remedy will come from 
God if we will call upon Him. The object of 
the Prayer Circle is to induce people to cry 
more mightily unto Him that He would help 
us in this time of sore need. 

We believe that every Church, community, 
and city can have a revival. If the devoted 
Christians, many or few, will come together and 
follow the three conditions given in the Prayer 
Circle and will keep on praying until victory 
comes, the revival will soon follow. We have no 
sympathy with worked-up revivals, but we have 
implicit confidence in God's revival prayed down 
from heaven. 

"Thus saith the Lord God ; I will yet for this 
be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it 
for them; I will increase them with men like a 
flock." — Ezek. 36 : 37. "And this is the confi- 
dence that we have in him, that, if we ask any- 
thing according to his will he heareth us: And 
if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, 
we know that we have the petitions that we de- 
sire of him." — 1 John 5:14, 15. "If ye abide 
in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask 
what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." — 
John 15:7. "Pray without ceasing." — 1 Thess. 
5:17. Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit 
you like men, be strong." — 1 Cor. 16: 13. "For 

23 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say 
unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be 
thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in 
his heart, but shall believe that those things 
which he saith shall come to pass ; he shall have 
whatsoever he saith." — Mark n : 23. "But Jesus 
turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, 
Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath 
made thee whole, and the woman was made 
whole from that hour. Then touched he their 
eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto 
you." — Matt. 9 : 22, 29. "And the apostles said 
unto the Lord, Increase our faith." — Luke 17: 5. 
In Psalms 85 : 6 we find the prayer for a re- 
vival; in Isa. 57:15 God promises the revival, 
and in Malachi 3 : 10 the account is given of the 
revival. No Church can maintain spiritual life 
without revivals. If people can be made to see 
the importance of prayer, we shall see the great- 
est awakening the world has ever known. The 
great revival in Scotland under John Living- 
ston, where at the first meeting five hundred 
were converted, originated through prayer, and 
the night before that memorable sermon was 
preached the people prayed all night. Revivals 
are not miracles. If they were, there would be 
little use in praying for them. We will see that 
revivals have had their origin in prayer. Dr. 
Lyman Beecher had a revival in his church at 
one time for which he could give no explanation. 
Later it was found that a bed-ridden saint had 
prayed for every family in the town until that 
mighty wrestler with God had prevailed, hence 

24 



THE PRAYER CIRCLE 

the source of the revival. If our prayers are to 
be answered we must be in union with Christ, 
John 15:7. Our petitions should be made in the 
name of Jesus, which the M'aster emphasizes 
three different times. We must have faith. 
"Whatsoever ye shall ask believing, ye shall re- 
ceive." Napoleon used to say, "There is a crisis 
of five minutes in every battle when the decision 
is rendered for victory or defeat/' The crisis 
is on for the spiritual battle. The revival must 
begin in the preacher's heart, then enter the 
hearts of the members and it will kindle the 
hearts of the unsaved. 

PLAN OF THE PRAYER CIRCLE. 

HOW TO START I.OCAI, CIRCLES. 

Is the object of the Prayer Circle to induce 
people to pray for a more general revival in 
America and throughout the world ? 

Yes, it is a union of the Christian people of 
all denominations and creeds in America and 
other countries who will agree to pray for a more 
general revival in the United States of America 
and for the entire world. 

Is there a subscription fee for members? 

No subscription is required and no rules, by- 
laws or dues, as the Prayer Circle is by no means 
to come in conflict with any Church or benevo- 
lent organization, but is to be auxiliary to the 
Church. 

What is necessary to become a member of 
the Prayer Circle? 

25 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

A willingness to pray for a revival constitutes 
membership. 

What are the three conditions of the Prayer 
Circle? 

They are as follows : 

1. I WILL MAKE A CAREFUL SELF-EXAMINA- 
TION, AND BY THE HELP OF GOD, PUT OUT OF MY 
LIFE EVERY DOUBTFUL THING. — Psa. 66: l8-20; 

Rom. 12; i; Col. 3:1-4. 

2. i will pray for a general revival in 
America and throughout the world and 
will endeavor to win others for christ. — 
Ps. 55' l 7'> Col. 3: 23, 24; 1 Sam. 12: 23, 24.. 

3. I WILL READ THE BlBLE, ENCOURAGE RE- 
VIVAL EFFORTS AND TRY TO INDUCE OTHERS TO 

join the Prayer Circle. — Acts 17:11; Acts 
2:1-12, 46, 47; Ps. 34:8. 

What method do you suggest when a Church, 
community, or city wishes to prepare for a re- 
vival, by using the Prayer Circle as a basis? 

Any pastor or Christian worker can organize 
a Prayer Circle by using one of these books as a 
guide, explaining briefly the object and plan, 
reading the three conditions and asking all who 
will agree to the same to give their name for 
enrollment, or they may sign their name on a 
card and return to the leader. 

In how many ways is the Prayer Circle to 
be operated? 

In three ways : 

First. Any one may become a member by 
agreeing to pray for a revival. 

26 



THE PRAYER CIRCLE 

Second. By joining a local Prayer Circle in 
any Church, community, or city. 

Third. By meeting in a home with friends, 
agreeing to form a home circle to pray for re- 
vivals, unconverted relatives, friends, and special 
objects. Local Prayer Circles may take their 
names from town or Church. These gatherings 
for prayer should be conducted on the simplest 
principles, by singing appropriate hymns and 
reading a portion of Scripture as a guide to 
prayer. 

There are no iron-clad rules laid down, but 
each one is to be left to act under the direction 
of the local or home Prayer Circle, or as guided 
by the Word of God and through His Spirit. 
The Prayer Circle is by no means to interfere 
with the regular Church prayer meeting, but 
members are expected to attend the weekly 
prayer meeting and to encourage the same. 

In addition, it will be well for ministers to 
speak to their people about this movement in 
the regular Church service or prayer meetings 
and induce them to organize Prayer Circles as 
described. Great will be the result if Christian 
people everywhere can be united in prayer for 
the one purpose of praying down a revival for 
this country and the world. 

Is a record of the members to be kept? 

A record of individual members may be kept, 
which is private. 

What can any one do to strengthen the 
Prayer Circle? 

27 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL' 

Pray and recommend the Prayer Circle to 
others. 

Will a revival in America affect, in a sense, 
the religious work in all parts of the world? 

Of this we have no doubt whatever. A real 
revival fire kindled in America will rapidly ex- 
tend around the entire world, bringing new life 
into missionary enterprise and add thousands to 
the kingdom of God. 

Is the Prayer Circle permanently organized? 

It is recommended so far as the human side 
is concerned, by a committee, composed of lead- 
ing representative persons of various Churches. 
The entire movement is to be one mighty pha- 
lanx of praying people moving upon the strong- 
holds of Satan. 

Thus, without a permanent organization, free 
from by-laws and dues, and without any annual 
meeting of the members, except at the throne of 
heavenly grace, any individual Christian, any 
Church, congregation, mission, association, or or- 
ganization can join heartily in the plan, praying 
for a general revival in America and the entire 
world. 

Who constitute the Prayer Circle Commit- 
tee? 

THE COMMITTEE. 

A manuscript copy of this Prayer Circle was 
sent to nearly all the following named persons, 
and to the balance the plan was explained, and 
all notified the founder of the Praver Circle, by 

28 



THE PRAYER CIRCLE 

writing or in person, of their great willingness 
to represent their Church or organization on the 
Prayer Circle Committee in so grand and glo- 
rious a cause. 

Presbyterian Church, Rev. J. Wilbur Chap- 
man, D. D. 

Methodist Episcopal Church, Rev. Henry 
Ostrom, D. D. 

Methodist Episcopal Church, South, Bishop 
Henry Clay Morrison, D. D., LL. D. 

Baptist Church, Rev. A. C. Dixon, D. D. 

Church of the United Brethren in Christ, 
Bishop G. M. Matthews, D. D. 

Mennonite Church, Rev. F. W. Kliewer, Sec- 
retary General Conference, North America. 

United Evangelical Church, Bishop William 
F. Heil, D. D. 

Congregational Church, Rev. S. Marks Cad- 
man, D. D., and Rev. W. J. Dawson, D. D. 

Evangelical Association Church, Rev. S. J. 
Luhring. 

Methodist Protestant Church, Rev. William 
W. Luneberry, D. D. 

Calvinistic Methodist Church of Wales, Evan 
Roberts, Swansea, Wales. 

Rescue Mission Work, Rev. Melvin E. 
Trotter. 

Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church, 
Rev. S. W. Read. 

Episcopal Church, Rev. Jay C. Hathaway. 

Salvation Army, Miss Evangeline Booth, 
Commander. 

29 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

Wesleyan Methodist Church of England, 
Rev. W. L. Watkinson, D. D., London. 

Christian Mission to the Jews, Rev. Philip 
Sidersky. 

Christian and Missionary Alliance, Rev. G. 
N. Eldridge, D. D. 

Holiness Movements and kindred organiza- 
tions, Rev. S. B. Shaw. 

Has the Prayer Circle been presented to any 
ministerial gatherings or to Christian workers, 
and have you anything to show with what favor 
the movement is received? 

Yes, we can furnish you with more resolu- 
tions and testimonials than you care to read. To 
prevent this book from becoming too large, only 
a limited number of statements from ministerial 
meetings and Christian workers can be given. 
We will have to omit all favorable reports from 
the secular press. We should be glad to give 
more of the encouraging statements and reports 
as they appeared in the religious press, but space 
will not permit. See "Introduction" for a few 
of the many statements, testimonials, and reso- 
lutions received. 

Long before this plan appeared in this form, 
papers, both secular and religious, were publish- 
ing reports concerning this movement as inau- 
gurated, and letters asking for information to 
organize local Prayer Circles came from various 
States in the Union, extending from the Atlan- 
tic to the Pacific Ocean, showing that the move- 
ment met with great favor from its first intro- 
duction to the Christian world. 

30 



THE PRAYER CIRCLE 

Do you think some people need instruction 
on prayer and have you anything to suggest on 
this subject? 

Yes, the author has written on "Secret 
Prayer/' and "Prevailing Prayer/' which are as 
follows : 

SECRET PRAYER. 

Prayer may be defined as the offering of the 
heart to God through Christ by the Holy Spirit, 
according to the Word of God. The two kinds 
of prayer mentioned in the Bible are the prayer 
of the believer and prayer of the sinner. In 
order that the reader may get correct views of 
prayer, the following references may be read : In 
Ps. 18:6 prayer is a dispatch sent from heaven. 
Prayer pleads for an answer, Ps. 22 : 2. Prayer 
brings God nearer to us, Ps. 64: 1. Prayer lays 
hold on God, Isa. 64 : 7. Prayer means to plead, 
Rom. 15:30. Prayer means to ask God, John 
14: 13. The Spirit teaches us how to pray, Rom. 
8 : 26. Prayer enables us to understand the 
Bible, Ps. 119: 18. The Master tells us how to 
pray, Matt. 6:9. 

Jesus was known as the Man of Prayer. 

The word "Prayer," or "Praying/' is used 
about twenty-five times in reference to His life 
on earth in the four Gospels. In order to be- 
come more familiar with His life of Prayer, one 
may read Luke 3 : 21, 22 ; 5 : 16 ; 6 : 12 ; 9 ; 18, 28 ; 
11 : 1 ; 23 : 34 ; Matt. 26: 36 ; Mark 1 : 35 ; 14 : 32- 
37; John 11:41; 12:27, and the 17th chapter 

3i 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

of John. His instruction how to pray we find in 
Luke 18:1; 21:36; Matt. 6:7, 201^26:41. 

The writers of the Old Testament do not in- 
struct us on prayer as the Master does in the 
New Testament. The first lesson Jesus gives us 
on prayer has reference to prayer in secret. Se- 
cret prayer often brings an open reward. There 
is more power derived from a secret prayer than 
all other agencies combined. Have you not often 
tested the power of secret prayer? The most 
powerful preachers and the most successful soul- 
winners, as well as the most spiritual Christians 
of all ages and countries, have been people who 
have prayed much in secret. The Christian 
should no more think of doing without the daily 
luxury of secret prayer than spending a day 
without food for his body. 

It is well to write out a list of persons at 
the beginning of a revival, for whom we will 
pray daily in secret until they are converted, or 
to the close of the revival. Another good plan 
is to have a number of Christian people agree 
to pray for one or more individuals at a set time 
daily. We know a certain family where the 
parents prayed for the early conversion of their 
children, and as a result the oldest child was con- 
verted in her eleventh year, the next in his tenth 
year, and the third in her seventh year. God 
certainly answers prayer. Mighty things would 
be accomplished in evangelism if thousands of 
people all over the world would pray daily for 
an outpouring of God's Spirit. 

32 



THE PRAYER CIRCLE 



PREVAILING PRAYER. 

Next to secret prayer in importance is fam- 
ily worship. Doubtless many children would 
have been kept from the paths of sin if the family 
altar had been kept up by the parents at home. 

If we study the prayers of Jesus we shall find 
that He emphasizes both secret and public prayer 
by His own example. In order to obtain further 
light on the subject of prayer we may read John 
16:24; James 4:8; Mark 11:24; John 14:6; 
Rom. 5:2; Eph. 2:18, 3 : 12. From these refer- 
ences and many others it will be seen that in 
order to have our prayers answered, we should 
observe something like the following order: 

1. Adoration. Christ taught His disciples 
how to pray, Matt. 6 : 7. 

2. Confession and giving up of sin, Psa. 51 ; 
Prov. 28 : 13 ; 1 John 1 : 9. 

3. Restitution. Get right with God and man, 
Matt. 6: 14, 15; Mark 11:25, 26; Ps. 66: 18, 20. 

4. Do not grumble in prayer, but be grateful, 
Col. 4 : 2. 

5. Pray in much faith and wisdom, James 
1:6; Mark 11:24. 

6. Our prayers should be persevering. We 
must keep on praying until God answers or we 
know it is not His will to answer our prayers 
in our way. In this connection the 18th chap- 
ter of Luke will be a good study. Rev. George 
Mueller prayed for two men for over sixty years 
and both were converted before they died. Our 

3 33 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

prayers should be specific and plain. The pray- 
ers of Elijah, Daniel, Habakkuk, and David fur- 
nish good examples. 

7. Emphasis should be laid on prevailing 
prayer at this time. Genuine revivals are of di- 
vine origin and can not be worked up merely 
by human efforts. God must be the Author and 
the Holy Spirit the Director. The servants of 
God who would be instrumental in saving the 
lost must be submissive to His will and pliable 
as clay in the potter's hand. They must be dead 
to the praises of men, dead to self-glorification, 
dead to all but the glory of God and the saving 
of immortal souls. 

True revivals are born as a result of pre- 
vailing prayer. The time will never come when 
all conditions are favorable in a Church for a 
revival, but prevailing prayer will pave the way, 
as a single match may kindle a little fire, which 
may spread until millions of dollars worth of 
property are destroyed, or acres of forest con- 
sumed, so the work of grace may begin in the 
heart of a single Christian instead of the whole 
Church. The single Christian, being on fire with 
the Holy Spirit, influences others until an entire 
Church or community may be ablaze with the fire 
from heaven. 

Through prevailing prayer every Church and 
community may have a revival. It may take 
weeks, months, a year or more, but the revival 
will come. Since we are to "wrestle not against 
flesh and blood, but against principalities, against 
the rulers of the darkness of this world, against 

34 



THE PRAYER CIRCLE 

spiritual wickedness in high places/' the battle 
may be long and hard, but the victory is possible. 

Prayer is not only a petition, but praise, ado- 
ration, and communion with the invisible God. 
We should "wait on God" continually and "pray 
without ceasing." The Church needs more of 
the prayer for intercession for souls and the 
spirit of unity among believers. 

The battle may become so fierce that all de- 
sire for food may be taken away. Fasting and 
prayer may be necessary in order to prevail with 
God in prayer. Some of the greatest victories of 
the people of God were achieved through fasting 
and prayer. Moses fasted forty days on Mount 
Sinai before God gave him the Ten Command- 
ments, and after breaking the tables of stone, 
he had to fast forty days again before he could 
prevail and receive the second tables. In 2 
Chron. 20:1-28 we find that Jehoshaphat sub- 
dued the Moabites and Amorites as a result of 
fasting and prayer. In Jonah 3:5-10 we see 
that, as a result of Jonah's preaching, the king 
and people of Nineveh fasted and prayed until 
they prevailed and God spared the city for the 
time. 

In Ezra 8:21-23, fasting and prayer brought 
about a great reformation under Ezra and Nehe- 
miah. Esther proclaimed a time for fasting be- 
fore going in to entreat the king for her people 
and the people were saved, Esther 4: 16. Jesus 
fasted forty days and nights in the wilderness 
before taking up His ministry -on earth and spoke 
of fasting and prayer in His teachings. As we 

35 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

are very desirous of a general awakening in 
America, and throughout the world, it will be 
well for the individual Churches, communities, 
conferences, assemblies, annual meetings, general 
conferences, general assemblies, and the Church 
gatherings of all evangelical denominations to 
set apart certain days for fasting and prayer to 
help bring about this general revival for America 
and the world. Certainly such a movement 
would be sanctioned by our Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ as the head of the Church, and 
heaven and earth would be enabled to join in one 
grand anthem of praise and thanksgiving toward 
Him who is the source and Author of every 
true and heaven-born revival. 



IN CONCLUSION. 

1. Make a complete surrender to God and 
pray for the spirit of intercession for the un- 
saved. 

2. Pray for this movement and consider 
prayerfully the thought of organizing a Prayer 
Circle in your home, Church, community, or city, 
and ask for divine guidance as to who should be 
invited to join the circle. 

3. Keep a record of the subjects to be prayed 
for and when God sends the answer give Him 
the glory. Do not be discouraged if the answer 
is delayed or should come in a different way than 
you expected. "Continue in prayer and watch 
thereunto with thanksgiving/' 

36 



THE PRAYER CIRCLE 

4. The chief aim of this book is to induce 
Christian people everywhere to pray for a more 
general revival, for the salvation of the lost and 
for more spiritual life among the people of God. 

5. Plead the promises given at the beginning 
of this chapter and put them at the head of your 
prayer list. "Heaven and earth shall pass away, 
but my words shall not pass away." — Matt. 

24:35. 



37 



CHAPTER II. 

The Need of a General 
Awakening. 

Nsver has the prayer of the psalmist, "Will 
thou not revive us again; that thy people may 
rejoice in thee?" been more fervently prayed and 
felt than now. This has been the prayer and 
uppermost thought in the life of the writer for 
many years. 

That revivals and religious awakenings are 
Biblical need not be proven, but is a self-evident 
fact to all Bible readers. That religious re- 
vivals have been owned of God in founding 
Churches and building up His kingdom is as evi- 
dent as the existence of the Churches themselves. 

We have revivals in nature each spring after 
the winter's frost and storms are over; we have 
revivals in the business world at certain times; 
we have a revival in politics every four years 
which stirs the entire Nation and attracts the at- 
tention of all the world. And now we are heart- 
ily enjoying a temperance revival which seems 
to be sweeping with an irresistible force over this 
land and extending to foreign countries, which 
means great injury to the liquor interests of 
America, and unless the worshipers of Bacchus 

38 



NEED OF A GENERAL AWAKENING . 

will soon have a revival for their God, the 
"Tekel" will be written on the wall against the 
greatest curse in this Nation. 

Yes, the hand writing is written on the wall 
against the liquor traffic. Living as we do in 
this the most favored period of the world's his- 
tory when moral, civic, and temperance reforms 
are the order of the day, we sit and muse and 
get down and pray, we stand and sigh and won- 
der whether all the energy will be spent by the 
combined forces for good in this way, or all these 
favorable symptoms only true and unmistakable 
signs that these reform measures are to be but 
an initiatory of the great and general religious 
awakening which shall follow in the wake of the 
agencies named. Personally I believe that the 
very aggressive measures taken by the Church 
and religious organizations against the liquor 
traffic are favorable indications for a great gen- 
eral revival. The Church showing its interest in 
the hundreds and thousands of God's weak chil- 
dren who are being ruined and destroyed by the 
liquor traffic has the Lord's hearty approval and 
means an advance in the kingdom of God. The 
Lord sent special seasons of refreshing to save 
His people from idolatry, pride, lethargy, and 
worldliness. Until the Millennium has come re- 
vivals will be a necessity, for it has been tried 
repeatedly to have the Church act steadily and 
go along uniformly without "periodical excite- 
ments," as revivals have been termed. That this 
theory is finding favor with some theologians , is 
a fact, but unless the Church is to suffer a much 

39 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

greater spiritual decline, revivals will be in de- 
mand to counteract the evil in the world. 

When we take the stand in favoring revivals, 
we would not be understood as depreciating the 
efforts of training up the children through 
proper religious instruction, for to this the writer 
owes all, next to his conversion in childhood. 
In my early days a strong effort was made to 
train children in religious things, but the doctrine 
of Jesus Christ in John 3 : 3, "Verily, verily I 
say unto you, Except a man be born again he 
can not see the kingdom of God," and verse 7, 
"Marvel not that I say unto you, Ye must be 
born again," was preached to all, including good 
and obedient children, and we believe it to be a 
most dangerous thing to deviate from that doc- 
trine at this time. Though the Church may have 
its "higher critics" and "destructive critics" and 
"advance thinkers," the teachings of the Book 
have not been changed by divine authority, and 
St. Paul's words in Gal. 1 : 6-9, should have spe- 
cial weight with the preacher of the day. With 
the indifference and skepticism in the Church and 
the amount of sin in the world, and America fast 
following the steps of the Roman Empire, we 
clearly see the need of a general revival. 

Religious training and education are just and 
proper, but the theory of a leading divine, "edu- 
cate your people out of sin," and of another one 
when he advocates the early and proper training 
of the child in order to make the "spasmodic ex- 
citements" unnecessary, are unscriptural and un- 
philosophical. The Lord has through all the his- 

40 



NEED OF A GENERAL AWAKENING 

tory of the races of mankind sent revivals and 
equipped His special servants for promoting 
them, and we have nothing to indicate that re- 
vivals are to be decried nor opposed by those 
who believe in real spiritual life instead of dead 
formality which may be orthodox, but which is 
without real spirituality. 

The writer has never been more thoroughly 
impressed with the need of real, spiritual, God- 
sent revivals than since his evangelistic tour of 
more than two years on the continent of Europe. 
In his labors which extended from Italy on the 
south to Scandinavia in the north, and from 
Holland and Belgium in the west to Russia on 
the east, it became very plain that nearly all of 
the religious life on the continent was brought 
and is still promulgated by revivals. To recall 
the revival spirit from that continent will cause 
the Church to sink back into lifeless formality. 
Since we speak of the revival spirit we do not 
only refer to the free Churches, but are glad and 
willing to include the established State Church, 
for real heaven-born revivals are carried on in 
and under the control of that Church in some 
places. 

Missionary work in foreign fields would soon 
cease to bring forth fruit if it would not have 
special revival seasons. The revival means a 
renewing of the first love in the believer and the 
awakening and conversion of the sinner to God 
and bringing them into the fold of the Church. 
If a real heaven-born revival has a dual effect 
like this, should it not be welcomed by all who 

4i 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

desire the salvation of the lost and the building 
up of Christ's kingdom on earth? Whence 
cometh all the criticisms of means, methods, and 
agencies used in the promotion of revivals? 

It must be clear to the reader that this sur- 
plus energy spent in criticising and fault finding 
could be much more profitably spent in advanc- 
ing the real cause of revivals. The revival means 
a renewing of obedience to God and His laws 
and bringing into harmony man and his Maker. 
Certainly this is what is needed and wanted to- 
day. The lack of brotherly love and Christian 
charity among Church people; the jealousy, evil 
speaking, and the worldly spirit among the 
Church members, the carelessness and indiffer- 
ence on the part of sinners; these and many 
other conditions indicate the need of a general 
revival. 

Tennyson said of the gospel of Jesus Christ, 
"That it is old news, and good news, and new 
news," and that, all should be glad to proclaim. 
George Whitefield studied the Bible on his knees, 
Henry of Lausanne, Peter Waldo, John Wycliff, 
John Bunyan, Richard Baxter, Jonathan Ed- 
wards, Charles G. Finney, D. L. Moody, and all 
soul-winners took the Bible as God's word and 
used it as the sword of the Spirit. 

Is it reasonable for us to expect a great tidal 
wave of salvation? Art is having its revival in 
America to-day. Dogma has followed faith. In- 
tellect, formality, and orthodoxy have taken the 
place of a clear Christian experience. The faith 
in many has grown cold, and worldly indiffer- 

42 



NEED OF A GENERAL AWAKENING 

ence and worldly lust have marched boldly into 
the Church. Upon these conditions should come 
the reaction in the form of a sweeping, God-sent, 
heaven-born revival. The onward march of re- 
ligion has not been that of an uninterrupted ad- 
vance. The opposing power of w T orldliness has 
ever obstructed it temporarily, but it has always 
gathered renewed momentum to sweep down all 
barriers. Such w r as the case in the movement 
under Moses, Samuel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Jere- 
miah, John the Baptist, the Apostles, the Church 
Fathers, Savonarola, Huss, Wycliff, Luther, 
Knox, the Puritans, the Quakers, Whitefield, Ed- 
wards, Finney, Knapp, and Moody, and we feel 
sure that unless all signs fail, we have abundant 
evidence of the recurrence of great tidal waves 
of the Spirit in the future. 

The need of an awakening is everywhere 
visible. That a revival, world-wide in its scope, 
is needed is apparent on every hand. Authori- 
ties give it that in the cities of Germany only 
four per cent of the population ever enter the 
Church and only a small part of that number 
have saving life in Christ. There must be a 
turning back to Bible study, prayer, and family 
worship, which is the pivot of piety. A baptism 
of the Holy Spirit and a world-wide revival will 
solve all trouble, since sin lies at the door of all 
evil. 



43 



CHAPTER III. 

The Divine and Human Elements 
in Revivals. 

Th£r£ are always the divine and the human 
side in every revival. There are God-sent reviv- 
als and religious excitements, and it is the for- 
mer which the writer wished to uphold. If re- 
vivals are God-sent, will they not come in His 
own appointed time without human agency? As 
well might the farmer expect a crop without 
employing the means in nature. God expects us 
to co-operate with Him, and: right means must 
be employed, for the human and the divine must 
work together in every true revival. 

The divine side may be powerfully empha- 
sized through a special providence by bringing 
favorable events in play to show that everything 
is ready for a revival. 

The Holy Spirit as a special divine agent in- 
fluences the hearts of the people and the truth 
burns like fire, and the proud rebellious sinner 
submits his ways to God. While the Lord could 
send a revival alone or use angels, He never has 
and never will use that method, but He will con- 
tinue to use men and women. 

44 



THE DIVINE AND HUMAN ELEMENTS 

The instrument employed by man is the 
Truth, the Word of God. Man's knowledge, 
learning, oratory, magnetism, personal appear- 
ance, knowledge of humanity, and all kinds of 
special gifts comes in good place, but the truth 
shall make man free. 

It is an established fact in Church his- 
tory that it was by preaching a neglected Biblical 
truth and emphasizing it that the great revivals 
of the past were called into existence. 

Peter preached a crucified and risen Christ 
and Pentecost followed. "The Eucharist for the 
People" by the Bohemian reformer, Huss, 
brought a revival. While tracing his footsteps 
in Prague we had the privilege of preaching to 
two Protestant congregations in that city, the 
after results of his work. While visiting the 
place in Constanz, Germany, and viewing the 
stone which marks the place where he suffered 
martyrdom, I felt it was the truth preached by 
Huss, which caused people even now to throw 
off the shackles of the Roman Church in Bohe- 
mia. Dr. Luther stirred Germany by preaching 
"Justification by Faith." While viewing the sa- 
cred steps, "Santa Scala," in Rome and seeing 
the people still crawling up step by step on their 
knees I rejoiced that Luther received the divine 
unction and declared, "The just shall live by 
faith." Wesley and Whitefield emphasized "the 
witness of the Spirit" and the world moved up- 
ward and onward toward God. 

Rev. Jonathan Edwards, D. D., appears with 
the bugle blast, "The sovereignty of God," ac- 

45 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

companied by the terrors of the law ; Rev. 
Charles G. Finney, D. D., had as a central theme, 
"Man's free agency/' and Dwight L. Moody 
won his thousands by preaching " The love of 
God." Other successful soul-winners who were 
contemporaneous with the above named leaders, 
emphasized in a greater or less degree the doc- 
trines named. We are now looking with hope 
and expectation for a still greater awakening 
than has ever yet visited this globe. What shall 
be the battle cry, the bugle blast, the great theme, 
the central Bible truth which shall lead us in the 
battle against sin ? What shall be the inscription 
on our banners as we march into the open field 
to attack Satan and his mighty hosts? Every- 
thing must be put out of the way to clear the 
track for a revival. 

One says our theme must be the "Second 
Coming of Christ," but grand, great, and inspir- 
ing as this theme is, referred to by over three 
hundred references in the New Testament, we 
fail to see how the sinner can be drawn from 
the haunts of vice through that theme. Another 
one says, "Law and Justice;" still others, "Love 
and Calvary." Dr. Josiah Strong believes the 
social side of Church life is to be especially em- 
phasized at this time. Still others say, "Build 
institutional churches and the world will be saved 
in a greater measure." 

Others believe the next great revival is to 
be brought about through the "Gift of Tongues." 
This movement has traveled as on wings from 
its birthplace, Los Angeles, Cal., and in a short 

4 6 



THE DIVINE AND HUMAN ELEMENTS 

time has reached the uttermost parts of the earth. 
It is astonishing how this doctrine has found 
ready soil in many good and honest hearts. The 
writer has come into touch with this doctrine 
in various places, but has failed to find it bring- 
ing forth good fruit. While in a revival in 
Christiania, Norway, 1902, there stood by my 
side as interpreter the spiritual, well beloved, en- 
thusiastic pastor of the large First Methodist 
Episcopal Church. While speaking before the 
Methodist Preachers' Meeting in Chicago later, 
he referred to our great victory in Christiania. 
On the way back to Norway he fell a prey to 
the so-called "Tongue Movement" in New York 
City, and later wrote me from India and sent 
printed matter in which he strongly defended 
the doctrine. Though I love the brother and es- 
teem him highly, I do not agree with him on 
the tongue movement theory. Thus it will be 
clearly seen that there are diversified opinions as 
to what should be the leading thoughts for the 
coming revival. 

Though there may be a difference in the 
minds of many as to the one theme to be empha- 
sized, in at least some essentials we must agree. 

First, the Word of God itself, which is truth, 
must be preached, and not man's ideas. The 
writer is ready to state without fear of contradic- 
tion, that the world can not produce the name of 
a single "Destructive Critic" or a doubter in the 
Deity or even the divinity of Jesus Christ, who 
has been known as a successful soul-winner, 
either pastor or evangelist. Furthermore, the 

47 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

successful ministers and soul-winners of all ages, 
including those of our own time, have been and 
are firm believers in the doctrine of the inspira- 
tion of the Bible. So we emphasize again, the 
word of Truth must be preached. 

The modern apostle, George Mueller, spent 
three hours daily in prayer and Bible study on 
his knees. He began this plan in July, 1829, 
and with the Holy Spirit as interpreter read the 
Bible through one hundred times, and each time 
with increasing delight. Though for more than 
a half century he had more business than he 
could conduct, and for forty years he annually 
received about thirty thousand letters, most of 
which went through his own hands ; with nine 
assistants corresponding in various languages; 
was pastor of a Church with twelve hundred 
members, taking care of five orphanages, con- 
ducted a publishing depot, where millions of 
pages of tracts and books were circulated, he 
yet found time for a three hours' season with 
God every morning. 

Ministers and evangelists would do well to 
spend much time daily in Bible reading, for it 
is the Truth through the Holy Spirit which must 
convict of sin and wrong, and not poetry nor 
quotations from history nor quotations from the 
"Higher Critics." 

If ever the much-needed and long-looked for 
revival is to come, the Church of God must deeply 
humble herself and call mightily upon the Lord 
for His help. There has never been a revival 
of anv considerable magnitude without much 

48 



THE DIVINE AND HUMAN ELEMENTS 

prayer. The Welsh revival was preceded by 
daily prayer from thousands of family altars for 
more than one year before the great wave of 
salvation came. In Korea hundreds of Chris- 
tians covenanted to spend one hour daily in 
prayer for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, 
and in January, 1907, the greatest revival ever 
known in that country broke forth and continued 
until the revival blaze reached all parts of the 
kingdom. 

Among the thousands of converts there were 
hundreds of students from the schools controlled 
by the missionaries of different Churches. The 
secret of this great and mighty wave of salva- 
tion was prayer. The revival was deep and thor- 
ough, causing in many instances great mental 
distress and physical agony through which most 
of the penitents passed. Another noticeable 
feature was the large number of restitutions 
made by penitents and new converts. It is a 
gratifying fact that the Korean revival broke 
forth during the Universal Week of Prayer, and 
though the awakening seemed to come independ- 
ent of human agencies, God used missionaries, 
evangelists, and lay helpers to co-operate with 
Him. In Chemulpo the meeting would begin 
at six o'clock in the morning and continue until 
midnight, and occasionally the evangelists would 
remain in the church for twenty-four hours at 
a time. The sermons were short, but often the 
people would spend one or two hours in contin- 
ued prayer before rising from their knees. 
There w r as much intercessory prayer, and at 

4 49 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

times the entire night was spent in prayer for 
the unsaved. The Korean revival was again no- 
ticeable for the deep conviction, thorough con- 
versions, and spirit of audible and intercessory- 
prayer and the lack of singing, while the 
Wales revival was noted for its singing and spirit 
of rejoicing and giving up of worldly amuse- 
ments for true Christianity. 

The revival of Wales, consisting of about 
one hundred thousand converts, was largely 
among the backslidden Church members and 
people under the influence of the gospel, while 
the revival in Korea mostly consisted of conver- 
sions from heathendom to Christianity. 

The writer has with special interest traced the 
religious awakenings through all the ages, reach- 
ing back into the Old Testament history and 
extending to our present day, and he has found 
that it is a universal fact that the more earnest 
praying there is done, the greater the success 
in soul-winning, and without much prayer no 
real, God-sent revivals have ever blessed the 
world. 

It will be well for all who would win souls 
to be much alone with God. Moses saw the 
burning bush ; Jacob was changed to Israel ; 
Joshua was encouraged by the angel for battle; 
Isaiah saw the vision; Samuel heard the voice 
of God ; Nicodemus learned the way of life ; 
Paul, Peter, and John were alone when the Lord 
showed them special favors. We need to be 
more alone and wait on the Lord. Let God 
speak to you at times and be still. Half our 

50 



THE DIVINE AND HUMAN ELEMENTS 

difficulties would be solved if we learned to be 
still. God is never in a hurry. "He that be- 
lieveth shall not make haste/' — Is. 28: 16. "He 
that hasteth with his feet sinneth." — Prov. 19 : 2. 
"The words of the wise men are heard in quiet." 
— Eccl. 9: 17. Be quiet before God and get new 
strength for service. 



5i 



CHAPTER IV. 

Men and Methods in Revival 
Work. 

While; we are entirely ready to admit that 
God only can send a true revival of religion, it 
is equally true that He has always used human 
agencies to promote them. This is true whether 
we find the reports in the Bible, in Church his- 
tory, or in our present day. While the members 
of the great human family are so differently 
constituted, and it takes such a variety of workers 
and methods to bring this old sinful world back 
to God, the writer does not intend nor desire 
to find fault with the chosen vessels, even though 
it were an easy thing to do, and such criticism 
might be read with interest. 

We believe that the spirit of criticism so fre- 
quently used by the public, by the Church people, 
by ministers and evangelists, the secular press 
and the religious press are doing much harm in 
the advancement of Christ's kingdom. This 
spirit, which often takes the form of persecution, 
has been common throughout all the ages, but 
it is lamentable that it is so general even in this 

52 



MEN AND METHODS IN REVIVALS 

twentieth century. Is it not a fact that this 
spirit of criticism, fault finding, and uncharita- 
bleness is asserting itself more than ever before? 
The Prayer of the writer has been for years that 
absolute peace and harmony may be established 
within the courts of our God, and that charity 
and patience shall possess every one engaged in 
the great work of soul-saving. The enemy could 
want nothing better than strife, criticism, and 
contention among the workers in the Lord's 
vineyard. 

"In union there is strength/' and nowhere 
is it needed more than in religious w r ork. So 
let there be peace and co-operation within the 
portals of the Lord's kingdom. 

The preacher, whether pastor or evangelist, 
must be the embodiment of Jesus Christ ; set 
apart for a holy work. The Old and New Tes- 
taments emphasize the fact in plain language, 
"Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord," 
and, "Let no man despise thy youth ; but be thou 
an example of the believers in word, in conver- 
sation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity/' 

From the beginning of human history there 
have been men whose special call and labors 
were to save the dying life of the Church of 
God and help to re-enforce it with fresh spiritual 
power. It is in the divine order of things for 
specialists to be called to do special work and 
devote all their time exclusively to their calling. 

As in the various avocations of life, special- 
ists found their places, so in the spiritual realm. 
In Eph. 4:11 we read, "And he gave some, 
53 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evan- 
gelists; and some pastors and teachers." Why 
there should be any clashing between pastors and 
evangelists has always been a mystery to me, for 
surely both have a divine call. 

During the first two thousand years from the 
beginning of the human race to the flood, there 
was no revival and but one specialist, who is 
known in the Epistle to the Hebrews as a 
"preacher of righteousness," and this man Noah 
preached for one hundred and twenty years 
without a single convert outside of his own 
family. The first revival came when Moses, that 
general, law giver, and evangelist, by divine 
orders, led three million Israelites from the 
Egyptian bondage through the Red Sea into the 
wilderness and to the "Mount of God" to receive 
the Ten Commandments and plan for a taber- 
nacle which might be called the first Church of 
God. Moses could hardly be called a settled 
pastor, for his life was less settled than a Meth- 
odist circuit rider, since he had to be ready at 
any moment, day or night, when the pillar of 
fire by night or the cloud by day lifted and 
moved on, he had to move on with his congre- 
gation. 

Elijah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, 
Ezekiel, and Joel were fearless, independent mes- 
sengers of God, each doing the work of a spe- 
cialist. The rebukes and appeals of these men 
brought repentance among the rebellious people. 
Since they had no churches, pulpits, or salary, 
they preached anywhere where they could gather 

54 



MEN AND METHODS IN REVIVALS 

congregations, in the open air, streets, fields, 
highways, or in consecrated buildings. We 
should be glad to speak of the revival under 
Samuel, Ezekiel, Elijah, Joshua, Judges, Ha- 
bakkuk, Peter of Pentecost, Stephen, Paul, and 
Philip, but space will not permit. The Pente- 
costal revival was the beginning of the revival 
period which is still in progress. It was the 
initiatory of those blessed seasons of the Holy 
Spirit which have increased the membership and 
brought godliness to the Churches. 

With the life of Philip the distinctive office 
of evangelists disappeared for centuries. If the 
evangelists and pastors could have always 
worked side by side, probably the dark ages of 
martyrdom might have been eliminated. In the 
middle of the fourth century the Greek pulpit 
orator, Chrysostom, swayed the multitudes 
through his denunciations of certain sins, and 
St. Augustine preached and wrote with much 
earnestness. Such divines as Fulgentius of the 
North African Church, Germaneus in Germany, 
Casarius of Aries, Serverinus along the Danube 
River, Peter the Hermit, Piero Valdo, Tauler 
of Germany, Huss of Bohemia, Wycliff of Eng- 
land, and others, shown and blazed for God 
through the centuries, until the light of a 
brighter day dawned through the Reformation 
under Dr. Luther, who now appears on the stage 
of action. 

"And what shall I more say, for the time 
would fail me to tell of," Lorenzo Dow, Thomas 
Walsch, Ashel Nettleton, John Summerfield, 

55 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

Robert and James Waldane, Edward C. Kirk, 
Charles Finney, Jonathan Edwards, Gilbert Ten- 
ant, Samuel Finley, Daniel Baker, James Gal- 
lengher, E. J. Napp, Jabez S. Swan, Samuel G. 
Orton, J. Burnhard, O. Parker, James Caughey, 
Bishop Wm. Taylor, Robert McChenenne, A. B. 
Earle, Emerson Andrews, A. P. Graves, E. P. 
Hammond, Henry Morehouse, W. C. Palmer, 
Wm. McDonald, D. W. Whittle, and D. L. 
Moody? These special workers and many more 
pastors and evangelists of the past have through 
faith helped to subdue Satan's kingdom, 
"wrought righteousness, obtained promises, " and 
"these all have obtained a good report through 
faith, but have passed through tribulation, trial 
of cruel mocking," from the world and from the 
Church itself. They were men of deep piety 
and faith, ready to make any sacrifice for the 
good of others. 

In order to prepare for a revival the preacher 
would do well to spend much time in prayer 
and Bible study, using as a tonic Joshua, Psalms, 
Jonah in Nineveh, Jeremiah in Jerusalem, Isaiah, 
Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem; 
and in the New Testament the Gospels, noting 
with a special interest Luke, the 15th Chapter, 
Gethsemane, Calvary, Pentecost, and Acts of the 
Apostles. 

Methods can not take the place of power. 
Methods without power from on high are like a 
big mogul engine on the track without steam. 
Jesus resorted to various methods. He spoke in 
a conversational tone, then He cried aloud like 

56 



MEN AND METHODS IN REVIVALS 

an earnest preacher or evangelist. He illustrated 
His sermons by using stories, as in the parable of 
the kingdom, the man sowing seed, the woman 
baking bread, the lost sheep, the birds, the flow- 
ers, the coin, and the father having two sons. 
Then again He taught great principles as in the 
Sermon on the Mount. He drove out the buyers 
and sellers from the temple, then again He weeps, 
"O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem!" It is well to have 
plans and methods through which the Holy 
Spirit can work and use us to greater efficiency. 



57 



CHAPTER V. 

Revival History and Develop- 
ment. 

During the seventeenth century the Puritan 
revival came asserting that "God was the Head 
of the Church." The eighteenth century was 
blessed by the revival under Wesley, Whitefield, 
and their contemporaries. At the beginning of 
the nineteenth century it was common for pastors 
to be sent out by some ecclesiastical body, gen- 
erally two going together on preaching tours 
among the neighboring Churches, and with good 
success. 

The revolutionary period was not favorable 
to evangelistic meetings, and the people called 
on God in much prayer, which caused a spiritual 
wave to roll high again in 1801 and 1802. Rev. 
Elisha McCardy and his people agreed to pray 
daily at sunset for a revival which soon enlisted 
Rev. Joseph Patterson and his people, and to- 
gether they frequently spent the entire night in 
prayer. The Presbyterian, Baptist, and Meth- 
odist Churches were most prominent in that re- 
vival. At one time in a camp-meeting in Ken- 

58 



REVIVAL HISTORY 

tucky, seven preachers were all preaching at the 
same time to the masses assembled, and during 
sunshine and rain, day and night, the interest of 
that mighty revival wave continued. 

The three great revival periods in America 
might well be classified as, first, colonization, 
grouping the people into Churches ; second, doc- 
trinal, founding of the institutions of learning 
and benevolence and establishing the faith of the 
different Churches ; and third, evangelistic. 

"Watchman, what of the night?" During the 
eighteenth century it seemed for a time as though 
Christianity must be blotted from the face of 
the earth. The seed of infidelity by Voltaire, 
Hume, Rousseau, Gibbon, Thomas Paine, and a 
host of so-called philosophers, scientists, free- 
thinkers, and infidels, who lived and died be- 
tween 1694 and 1809, beginning with Voltaire 
and ending with the death of Paine, was bringing 
its fearful harvest, but the crusade against the 
cross absolutely failed. It is interesting to note 
that the seed of infidelity was uprooted and 
Christ's kingdom established more firmly than 
ever through the "Great Awakening," and Zin- 
zendorf, who lived 1700-1750; Jonathan Ed- 
wards, 1703-1758; Geo. Whitefield, 1714-1770; 
David Brainard, 1718-1747, and others, were 
used by God in answering the challenge of the 
ablest, boldest, blatant enemies which the cross 
of Christ ever encountered. 

If our God could help in such a time of need, 
will He not hear and answer His children all 
over the land when they cry, "O Lord, revive 

59 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

Thy work?" When here and there we behold 
the outburst of awakenings under our own eyes 
and read of others, may we not cherish the hope 
that "The set time to favor Zion is at hand?" 
Has not the little cloud like a man's hand spread 
until it seems as though "there is a sound of 
abundance of rain?" 

Surely we should not doubt. Does it not 
seem as though the Lord is about to revive His 
Church and baptize His people all over the globe 
with the Holy Ghost ? At times when the writer 
is engaged in prayer and meditation on the sub- 
ject, it seems as though he can hear the rustling 
of the heavenly winds and the breath of the Lord 
in bringing life to the dead bones in the valley. 
The heavenly fires seem to gleam in the distance. 
O, that it would please the Lord to let life come 
to every soul and send the heavenly flames from 
above! 

Rev. O. E. Goddard, of Muskogee, Okla., a 
returned missionary from the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church, South, from China, furnishes the fol- 
lowing statement in reference to a prophecy 
made by Rev. J. Hudson Taylor more than ten 
years ago in reference to a world-wide revival. 
Mr. Goddard says: 

"Something more than ten years since, in the 
city of Shanghai, China, it was my privilege to 
edit an address delivered by Hudson Taylor, 
of the China Inland Mission, and I recall that in 
the midst of his remarks the speaker paused and 
said, 'Brethren, I have a conviction which I be- 
lieve is of the Lord, that in the next ten vears 

60 



REVIVAL HISTORY 

there will occur one of the bloodiest wars in the 
world's history. In the war Russia will be the 
leader on one side. 

1 'The sentiment of the Christian nations will 
generally be against Russia. Contemporaneous 
with this conflict there shall burst out a revival 
such as we never knew in the Christian Church, 
and which shall spread throughout the world, 
turning many unto righteousness. And my 
brethren, it is moreover my conviction that im- 
mediately following this mighty outpouring of 
the Holy Spirit, the Lord Himself will come.' ' 

It is not for man to solve what will be the 
watchword for the next great awakening in 
America, but if the writer may give his view it 
would be 'Tray, Pray!" It is clear that prayer 
and supplication before the throne of grace is 
more needed now than anything else. YVe have 
well organized Churches, institutions of learning 
richly endowed by Church and State, sufficient 
wealth in the Church, and a good working ma- 
chinery which is only waiting to be oiled by the 
Holy Ghost in answer to prayer. 

Prayer is the only thing that will properly 
oil the mighty machine, by bringing down the 
Holy Ghost as a symbol of oil to convict of sin 
and righteousness and judgment to come. Be- 
lieving that prayer is the key to unlock the heav- 
ens to let down the revival showers, the Lord 
impressed the writer with the importance of lay- 
ing emphasis upon that medium in this special 
way. Prayer brings heaven nearer. Prayer is 
the right arm of evangelism. As a rule the 

61 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

greatest soul-winners have been the greatest 
prayers, and every true revival was prayed down 
from heaven. Habakkuk prayed, "Revive Thy 
work," and the Lord answered. David Brainard 
accomplished more through prayer than through 
preaching. If we want to move God we must 
have our own souls moved. Prof. S. F. B. 
Morse, inventor of the electric telegraph, used to 
pray for more light when he came to a hard 
place. So we must do in our search for heavenly 
light. Rev. John Welsh used to pray all night 
for his Church and the unsaved. 

When we consider that in 1800 there was one 
Church member to every 14.5 population, and in 
1901 there was one Church member to every 4.3 
population in this country, we see great progress 
in the line of Church membership. It is claimed 
at present that one-half the people in the United 
States do not attend Church. The attendance 
in the cities is less than it was fifty years ago. 
It is claimed that the membership of the 
Churches is about three times as large as it was 
thirty years ago, but the social evils are not 
decaying in proportion to the growth of Church 
membership. It must be remembered that there 
are at present twelve times as many people out- 
side of the Churches as the entire population 
numbered in 1800. 

With such conditions in the Church, and 
three-fourths of the people out of the Church, 
a general, thorough, and sweeping revival for 
America will mean much prayer and deep humil- 

62 



REVIVAL HISTORY 

ity before God. The problem lies in and not out- 
side the Church. We have enough organization 
but not enough life. When we have met the 
conditions God will send a revival, especially 
adapted to this country, which will probably not 
be like the Wales revival, since the Welsh na- 
ture is different from our nature, and much more 
easily influenced. 

Benjamin Franklin thought that a single gen- 
eration of Christians who practised the teaching 
of Jesus would change the face of the earth. 
John Wesley said, "Give me one hundred men 
who fear nothing but God and hate nothing but 
sin, and are determined to know nothing but 
Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and I will set 
the world on fire/' 

When Xapoleon came to a stream at the foot 
of the Alps with his soldiers, they declared they 
could not get the artillery across, when the great 
general replied, "We must cross this stream 
here or we can not see Italy." While Bismarck 
was encouraging the German army to cross- a 
marsh on the way to Paris, he put iron in their 
blood and courage in their weak bodies by say- 
ing, "Men, we must cross this marsh or we can 
not see Paris." Shall we as soldiers of Jesus 
Christ halt or turn back because difficulties stare 
us in the face? I imagine I can hear thousands 
answering all over the land, "No, let us march 
on to victory." 

The preparation for a revival does not con- 
sist in making plans, appointing committees, call- 

63 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

ing an evangelist, organizing chorus choirs and 
advertising the meeting, but in getting in touch 
with God through prayer. 

Prayer, self examination, getting ready for 
personal work, putting away sin as indicated in 
the conditions of the "Prayer Circle" mentioned 
in the first chapter of this book, are absolutely 
necessary for a successful revival. The Church 
at Phillipi was brought about through prayer. 
The Reformation was brought into existence 
through prayer. Dr. Luther spent as much as 
three hours daily in prayer. Before John Liv- 
ingston preached that memorable sermon after 
which five hundred were converted, the people 
prayed all night. While Jonathan Edwards 
preached the sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of 
an Angry God," the people prayed all the while 
he preached. The great revival in Ireland, Scot- 
land, and England in 1859 started as a result of 
four young men, with James McGuilkin as 
leader, who met for prayer in a schoolhouse 
near Kells, Ireland, every Friday evening, and 
a year later ten thousand or more new members 
were added to the Churches. The Irish revival 
broke out in the summer time, and many open-air 
meetings were held since the churches could not 
hold the crowds. It is believed that one hundred 
thousand were blessed, as reported by Rev. Wil- 
liam Wallace. Finney spent whole nights in 
prayer, and became a giant with God though he 
lived in a frail body. Alfred the Great said 
his country needed "Not only good women and 
good workmen, but also good prayermen." 

64 



REVIVAL HISTORY 

John Knox has become famous for his prayer, 
"Give me Scotland or I die," and Whitefield 
for his prayer, "Give me souls or take my soul." 
Paul speaks of prayer as "travail in birth," and 
Isaiah says, "When Zion travaileth she bringeth 
forth her children." 

Samuel commanded fasting at Mizpah, and a 
mighty revival resulted. Jehoakim proclaimed a 
fast for all Jerusalem. David and Daniel fasted 
and prayed at different times, and many others 
might be named who accomplished great and 
heroic work for God on earth through prayer. 

Not in organization or human activity are we 
to expect the world-wide revival, but through 
prayer, humiliation, supplication, intercession, 
and persevering prayer on the part of God's 
people, whose hearts are burdened for the un- 
saved in the Church and out of the Church. God 
w r ill answer prayer. 



65 



CHAPTER VI. 
The Kind of Revival Needed, 

As to the kind of revival needed, we will 
agree upon some points. 

1. The revival will only come as an answer 
to much prayer and humility on the part of the 
Church. 

2. Christ and Him crucified must be made to 
shine before men. To bring sinners to the Sin 
Bearer must be the great theme. 

3. The preaching must be the preaching of 
the cross, through mercy and judgment. Not 
the preaching of love and mercy only, but judg- 
ment and righteousness as well. 

4. The religion of Jesus Christ must be made 
more attractive than the worldly amusements. 

5. The revival must concern itself largely 
with the Church in purifying the saints and 
urging the baptism with the Holy Spirit for be- 
lievers. 

6. The revival should endeavor to reach the 
children and lead them to salvation and discard 
the false theory becoming so prevalent that chil- 
dren need not be converted to Christ, which is as 
we have shown contrary to Scripture. The writer 
read twenty reasons why children should be con- 

66 



THE KIND OF REVIVAL NEEDED 

verted, as given by a Christian worker, and 
surely there could not be that many reasons 
given why they should not be converted. 

7. Special emphasis must be put forth in 
reaching the laboring classes. Our duty is to 
save men and women, soul and body, and not 
souls only. We must preach a religion that will 
win the whole man. Jesus was as much a Savior 
when He fed the five thousand as when He 
preached the sermon on the Mount or raised 
Lazarus from the dead. 

8. The revival should be a singing and pray- 
ing revival. The light, flippant songs should 
drop out, and good old hymns with gospel in 
them must take the lead as in the Wales revival. 

9. The revival must be characterized by its 
ethical as well as its religious effect on society 
and the world. 

10. The revival should gain such power and 
momentum that not only the religious but the 
secular press would gladly publish the revival 
news. 

11. The revival should not be characterized 
through its emotion, but must assume rather a 
deep and quiet form, blazing out here and there 
through emotional nature. In some of the re- 
vivals of the Old and New Testaments as well 
as in most of the modern revivals there were 
marks of emotional excitement, but it is to be 
expected that the stoical rather than the emo- 
tional should predominate in the services, since 
there must be a searching for the "Old Paths" 
regardless of after results. 

67 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

12. Man must become less prominent in the 
revival than is now the case in the local revivals. 
If the Lord needs a human agency He will find 
one or make one, as it was in the case of Evan 
Roberts, Albert Lunde, and others. 

13. There should be more preaching on hell 
and the judgment, but it must be done in love 
and sympathy. The preaching of the Father- 
hood of God, and that only, does not suffice. 

14. The revival should have no bad after ef- 
fects, but like the Mississippi River must flow 
on continually at low and hight water-mark, re- 
ceiving the water from the tributaries as it 
goes on. 

15. In the coming revival dead formality 
must be lost sight of, and repentance, surrender 
to God, faith in Christ and open confession, 
right and holy living should be taken as an evi- 
dence of salvation. 

16. The coming revival should demand an 
endowed chair in theological schools to teach 
"Revival Methods" as "Pastoral Theology" is 
now taught. It should be emphasized that "He 
that winneth souls is wise," not he that preaches 
nice, well-prepared sermons. The work of soul- 
saving is a greater cause than the one of Demos- 
thenes in speaking on the Crown, or Cicero's 
cause against Catalin. Holy Ghost power and 
wisdom is needed. In the New Testament the 
Holy Spirit is referred to nearly three hundred 
times, and is always associated with the thought 
of power and victory. It is said that one bullet 
out of four thousand kills or wounds in battle 

68 



THE KIND OF REVIVAL NEEDED 

while soldiers shoot at random. We can cer- 
tainly expect to do that well with the gospel 
gun with proper training. The writer was much 
interested in watching the maneuvering of the 
soldiers in Germany, and often thought if only 
the soldiers of the cross could be prepared for 
service with such care it would mean great 
things for the kingdom of God. 

Tolstoi tells of a man who was to have all 
the land he could walk around in one day, and 
the man so strained every muscle and nerve that 
he died. He was unskilled. While in a revival 
in Vienna the writer was shown through the 
vaults where the bodies of the crowned heads 
of Austria are kept, and in a large jar the heart 
of Maria Theresa is preserved. Greater honor 
than this comes to those who win souls. 

After John Wesley had been in the ministry 
thirteen years, and had served as a missionary 
in Georgia for two years, he says in his Journal 
that he "who went to America to convert others 
was never himself converted to God." After he 
was converted he saw fruit of his ministry. 
Spurgeon said, "I would rather be the means of 
saving a soul from death than be the greatest 
orator on earth." Whittier, wrote, "Heaven's 
gate is shut to him who comes alone." When 
Sir Ashley Cooper visited Paris he was asked 
how many times he had performed a certain 
surgical operation, and he replied, "Thirteen 
times." "Ah," said the Frenchman, "but I have 
performed the operation one hundred and sixty 
times." "How many lives did you save?" asked 

6 9 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

the Frenchman. "I saved eleven out of the thir- 
teen, and how many did you save out of the one 
hundred and sixty?" asked Mr. Cooper. "I lost 
all, but the operation was very brilliant," replied 
the Frenchman. Is there not too much brilliant 
preaching when it should be the soul-saving 
kind? 

When Rev. Roland Hill introduced Dr. Jan- 
ner, the discoverer of vaccination, to a nobleman, 
he said, "Allow me to present to your Lordship 
my friend, Dr. Janner, who has lately been the 
means of saving more lives than any other man." 
Dr. Janner bowed and said, "Ah, would like you, 
I could say souls." 

It would certainly be money well invested if 
each theological school could have a chair en- 
dowed for a teacher on revival methods, similar 
to Professor Tholuck, the German professor in 
the University of Halle. In his jubilee address, 
as given in McClintock and Strong's Biblical 
Encyclopedia, he says : "My course has been des- 
ignated a successful life among youth. I have 
had not merely to water like Apollos, but to plant 
with Paul and introduce new life into dead, 
corrupt, and wayward youthful hearts. But this 
can only be where the spirit of fire is the beam 
of a divine influence from God. Nothing fills 
me more with adoring wonder than to think how 
this spirit of fire has ever been given to me since 
the hour when I received the baptism of fire 
from above. From the age of seventeen I have 
always asked myself, 'What is the chief end of 
man's life?' I could never persuade myself that 

70 



THE KIND OF REVIVAL NEEDED 

the acquisition of knowledge is this end. Just 
then God brought me into contact with a ven- 
erable saint who lived in fellowship with Christ, 
and from that time I have had but one passion, 
and that is Christ, and Christ alone. Every one 
out of Christ I look upon as a fortress which I 
must storm and win, and when I look back upon 
the thousands of youths whose hearts have 
opened up under my influence, I can only say, 
the Lord hath done it. In working thus to save 
souls, my life has been one of joy rather than 
toil. And what a number of those who were 
once my students have risen up and can now 
say, each one, like myself, 'I have had one pas- 
sion, and that is Christ, and Christ alone.' * 
What a grand and glorious testimony this is of 
the great student professor who had received 
the baptism of fire from above, and whose only 
aim it was to lead his pupils to Christ and make 
them soul-winners. His labor counts for time 
and eternity. Xo wonder that his teaching and 
influence counteracted the stubborn rationalism 
known to German theology. Our theological 
schools need money and endowment. But more 
than all, enduement ; we need to equip theologi- 
cal students for successful revival work. The 
Holy Spirit is first in order, then finances. A 
Tholuck to influence students with a passion for 
saving the lost should be the order, and there 
will be enough preachers to supply the vacancies 
in the Churches. Would not this be a good 
question to ask every candidate for the ministry? 
"Have you received the enduement of the Holy 

71 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

Ghost, with His baptism of fire; or is this your 
desire, and have you a passion for saving souls ?" 

17. The coming awakening should be a re- 
naissance rather than an ordinary revival. A 
revival technically so-called applies only to the 
feelings, whereas a renaissance would take hold 
of the whole man, feelings, intellect, will, and 
all, and make man love God with all his heart, 
soul, mind, and strength, and his neighbor as 
himself. We do not need "a genuine revival of 
religion'' so much as we do "a revival of gen- 
uine religion." There is a growing and universal 
longing for such a revival. "Back to the Bible" 
and "Back to Christ" are good watchwords. 
It takes hard study and much prayer to be a 
soul-winner. There is a difference between "The 
foolishness of preaching" and "foolish preach- 
ing." "He that winneth souls is wise." 

18. The lukewarm condition of the Church 
at present is no special barrier against the com- 
ing revival. When the great revival wave broke 
forth in 1734 under Jonathan Edwards the 
Church was dead and formal, but before the re- 
vival ceased, which reached to the time of Wes- 
ley and Whitefield, the Churches in the colonies 
increased fully thirty per cent, and the Church 
membership more than ten per cent. Whitefield 
alone is said to have had fifty thousand conver- 
sions in three years who joined a hundred and 
fifty different Churches. 

The second great revival came to this coun- 
try in 1901-2, as indicated, when it seemed as 
though French infidelity, American free-thinking 

72 



THE KIND OF REVIVAL NEEDED 

and English deism had sapped the Church 'life. 
The revival came when it was most needed. The 
centers of learning were hotbeds of skepticism 
and scoffing. College students prided themselves 
by assuming the names of noted infidels. In 
Yale, President Timothy Dwight found but one 
student willing to receive the sacrament. But 
soon more than one-third of the students were 
converted and the revival spread until it reached 
Kentucky and Tennessee as previously reported. 

When the third and greatest of American 
revivals came, in 1857 and 1858, it was much 
needed in order to revive the dead worldly and 
formal Church, and prepare the men for heaven 
who fell by thousands on the battlefield in the 
Civil War. The revival began in a noon-day 
prayer-meeting in New York City, without plan- 
ning and unheralded. God sent it in His own 
time and way. Like all other revivals it came 
as an answer to prayer. We have tried to im- 
press and emphasize the fact that no revival will 
come without much praying. During the height 
of the revival wave there were supposed to have 
been fifty thousand conversions daily, and about 
one million were born into the kingdom of God 
before the revival had subsided. Surely the con- 
ditions of the Church to-day point to the need of 
a general awakening, and why not believe it is 
coming? 

19. In the coming revival there should be 
harmony between pastors, evangelists, and Chris- 
tian workers. Bickering and fault-finding must 
be done away, since the Lord Himself should be 

73 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

in the lead and man must be largely lost sight 
of as in other great awakenings. During the 
last fifty years preaching has been largely con- 
fined to religious instruction, which can only be 
helpful in hastening a general revival. The seed 
has been sown in the hearts of many thousands 
and the harvest time may be near at hand. 

20. The coming revival must be one in which 
personal work should be especially emphasized. 
The lack of personal workers is lamented every- 
where. John the Baptist said to John and An- 
drew, "Behold the Lamb of God." Andrew said, 
"We have found the Messiah/' Phillip said to 
Nathanael, "Come and see." These messages 
were short, but accomplished the aim. It is said 
that John Wesley won sixty thousand souls 
through personal work. Rev. J. O. Peck, D. D., 
once said that if he had the certainty that he 
was to live only ten years, and as the condition 
of his going to heaven at the end of ten years 
he was to win ten thousand souls for Christ, and 
he had the opportunity of winning them by 
preaching sermons or by individual effort, he 
would take individual evangelism every time and 
stand a better chance of winning the ten thou- 
sand. Harlen Page made it his rule never to 
be with any one fifteen minutes without trying 
to do him some good. What a beautiful exam- 
ple we have in Jesus when twelve years old, there 
among the teachers in the temple, saying, "Wist 
ye not that I must be about My Father's busi- 
ness?" On nineteen different occasions He took 
time in teaching one individual. The example 

74 



THE KIXD OF REVIVAL NEEDED 

of the disciples doing personal work is very sug- 
gestive. Thus we see that Jesus and His dis- 
ciples practiced not only personal but individu- 
alism in evangelism. 

A student led George Mueller to a prayer- 
meeting and that led to his conversion, and the 
world has been blest through that modern apos- 
tle. A handshake and a kind word brought a 
white-haired boy, with low brow, to Christ,, and 
later he became Bishop Simpson of the Metho- 
dist Episcopal Church. John Stratton led John 
B. Gough to Christ. Robert Eaglen led Charles 
H. Spurgeon to light and salvation. Mr. Ed- 
ward Kimball, a Sunday school teacher in Bos- 
ton, brought D. L. Moody to Christ through 
personal work, and thus we might continue. 
The last great revival of 1857- 1858 was largely 
a layman's revival, and so must the next one be. 
The layman's movement is certainly a favorable 
indication. We seem to hear the sound "of a 
going in the tops of the mulberry trees." The 
very things which furnish the pessimist his ma- 
terial for discouragement are infallible signs to 
us that a better time may be near at hand. Dur- 
ing the great revivals named in America, as well 
as in Wales, Korea, and the Orient, the darkest 
hour came just before day. "Man's extremity 
is God's opportunity." Reaction follows excess. 
There are many appalling things occurring in 
society and the Church which startle us. But 
at last the favorable reaction comes and the 
drowsy conscience is aroused, and the timid are 
nerved to action. Through this epoch we are 

75 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

now passing. The reaction is toward civic re- 
form, righteousness, and the kingdom of God, 
and some time in the future there must come in 
the wake of the revival power the new heaven 
and the new earth. 

When Napoleon had planned to defeat the 
Austrian army at Marengo rain had fallen so 
that the Po River was difficult to cross, and when 
he reached the field the brave soldiers were re- 
treating. Just then Desaix, the boy general, came 
running across the field and halted before Na- 
poleon. In the corps was a drummer boy whom 
Desaix had found on the streets of Paris. As 
the column halted Napoleon ordered the boy to 
beat a retreat by saying, "Boy, beat a retreat/' 
The boy stepped forward, grasping his drum- 
sticks, saluted the general and said, "Sirs, I 
don't know how." Desaix never taught me 
that, but I can beat a charge. Yes, sir, I can 
beat a charge that would make the dead fall in 
line. I beat that charge at the Pyramids once, 
I beat it at Mount Tabor, I beat it at the bridge 
of Lodi; shall I beat it here?" Napoleon said, 
"The old charge of Lodi and the Pyramids, yes, 
beat it!" and the drummer boy beat his drum; 
the soldiers fell in line and the Austrian Army 
was defeated. The boy was seen still marching, 
beating his drum after the field was cleared. 

It is very desirable that there might be many 
to follow the example of the drummer boy, to 
beat the charge until the armies of our Lord 
shall march to triumphant victory. It appears 
as though Christendom is approaching a crisis. 

7 6 



THE KIND OF REVIVAL NEEDED 

Worldly amusements, lusts, and indifference are 
combined to oppose true piety. The old-time 
gospel, prayer, and revivals are the only reme- 
dies from the human standpoint. There is not 
much need of a new truth or a new gospel, but 
a turning back to the old paths is needed. The 
arm of God can help and Jesus can and will save. 
We are hoping and looking for a revival where 
neither pastor nor evangelist will be prominent 
but where God alone shall get the glory. 

We are of the opinion that in the future 
regular revival sieges, continuing for weeks, or 
if necessary months, should be the order of the 
day. It is a great pity to close a revival while 
the fire is burning, as is frequently done. The 
Churches have long been singing, "Hold the 
Fort," and have done well "holding." Now let 
there be a marching forward to victory. Some 
one writes, "The Lord is a good worker but loves 
to be helped." Revivals are born of the Holy 
Spirit, and with the pastor in good spiritual con- 
dition, preaching for immediate results; with 
the official members in the lead, success will be 
achieved. Peace and harmony should be estab- 
lished and the membership urged to pray much 
and do personal work, and the Lord will do the 
impossible and the revival must follow. Mr. 
Moody said, "One hundred cold Church mem- 
bers revived is a greater advantage to the king- 
dom of Christ than the conversion of a hundred 
sinners." There are too many people at ease 
in Zion. Church members should not be like 
the man trying to save another man who had 

77 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

fallen through the ice by shoving toward him 
a plank covered with ice from which his hold 
repeatedly slipped, but should stretch down their 
hand to save the struggling and the dying. 

While making a tour through Switzerland 
I stopped at Grindelwald, where I visited the 
graves of two men, one a guide and the other 
a tourist. These two men and two others at- 
tempted to climb one of the highest peaks in 
the Alps, when a heavy electric storm came, and 
while they were trying to make their way to 
safety were all killed by the lightning. These 
two had been found and buried. So let us stand 
together, work together, and if need be die to- 
gether in the cause of Christ. 



78 



CHAPTER VII. 

Present Indications for a General 
Revival. 

We are not enthusiastic for the so-called 
"New Evangelism." Old evangelism of the 
Bible kind and of the revivals named in this 
Book are good enough for us. We want no ex- 
periment tried with a thing so sacred. What we 
need is one grand revival wide as the Republic. 
The "Oxford Holy Club" sealed the problem of 
"New Evangelism" in their day. We do not 
need more new methods, but men filled with the 
Holy Spirit, and as one puts it, "Thick with 
God." We have found that science and Socrates, 
Browning and brotherhood, music and star 
preaching, and building new churches will not 
save people. The new evangelism was solved at 
Pentecost, and that is the way we must solve 
it. We have no patience with any new method 
that deceives people as to the actual number of 
conversions. It takes law and judgment as well 
as love to bring real conviction and true con- 
version, for the truth must make the sinner free. 
"New Evangelism" appeals to the head and to 
the reason, while the "Old Evangelism" appeals 

79 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

to the heart and emotions. In "New Evangel- 
ism" Jesus is more an example rather than a 
Redeemer. The "New Evangelism" teaches con- 
version or the "New Birth" as an intellectual 
process, and man becomes good by and by, while 
the "Old Evangelism" believes in a real New 
Testament change of heart as taught by Jesus 
and the apostles. 

Repentance must be dealt with as a solid, 
essential, necessary fact. The picture of evil need 
not be made so dark or the doctrine of restitu- 
tion so fearful that sinners shall think it impos- 
sible to be reconciled to God, but the truth is 
needed and must be preached. Of what use is 
a revival that does not cause the new convert 
to make restitution for wrong, give up sin, for- 
give enemies and cause him to leave his sinful 
amusements? Why fear to proclaim the full 
truth? Why fear man and not God? 

While the old-time camp-meetings have 
largely gone out of date we now have more open- 
air campaigns in the cities bringing the gospel to 
the masses in the heated summer season, and 
thousands are being reached in this way. The 
reports from New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, 
and other cities are very encouraging. 

Let us notice some agencies at work in the 
field favorable to the coming revival. In the 
town of Keswick, England, the largest religious 
convention in Christendom gathers annually to- 
ward the end of July for a week of Bible-study 
and prayer. Near this beautiful, picturesque 
place, Coleridge, Southey, and Wordsworth once 

80 



PRESENT INDICATIONS 

lived, and on the beautiful "Friar's Craig" stands 
a monument which tells about John Ruskin and 
his connection with Keswick. No wonder that 
ten thousand to twelve thousand Christian people 
annually gather there in the spirit of prayer and 
expectancy. The Bible readings which attract 
the largest attendance daily, deal with such top- 
ics as are most helpful to Christian people. Such 
men as Rev. G. Campbell Morgan, Rev. Dr. 
Pierson, Rev. Charles Inwood, Rev. Webb Peb- 
loe, Rev. Herbert Brook, Rev. F. B. Meyer, and 
others serve on the program. The influence of 
that annual gathering is felt around the globe, 
and is a mighty factor in helping to bring about 
the world-wide revival. The annual gathering 
at Blankenburg in Germany is of a similar 
nature. 

The Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and 
the great gatherings in Northfield, Mass., an- 
nually, and other gatherings for Bible-study in 
different parts of the land during the summer 
months of each year, and denominational gath- 
erings help to kindle the heavenly flames for a 
mighty sweeping revival. We must not over- 
look the Winona Lake (Ind.) Bible Conference 
which meets there each year in August, and has 
been an inspiration to thousands of ministers 
and Christian workers in giving them a new 
impulse in the work of building up the king- 
dom of Christ. 

We should emphasize the fact that each 
Church service, cottage prayer-meeting, each 
prayer at the family altar, as well as every secret 

6 81 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

prayer, helps to fan the flame of God's holy fire. 
Every revival meeting, whether conducted in a 
church, hall or home, whether a union effort 
embracing a town or city, or a simultaneous 
movement in the larger cities, are but small 
flames which should in the coming great revival 
kindle neighboring towns and cities until the 
momentum will be so great that the devil will 
be put to flight and our God shall be glorified 
as never before. 

A few years ago the writer suggested the or- 
ganization of the Interdenominational Associa- 
tion of Evangelists, which now numbers about 
two hundred approved evangelists, conducting 
meetings and helping pastors. This organization 
does not by any means include all who are busy 
as special workers. The leading Churches have 
their denominational evangelism, and in addition 
to all this the w T orld has never had better preach- 
ers and pastors than now. All these devoted 
people at work for Christ should help to move 
things in the right direction. Special meetings 
of all kinds are being held, including days of 
fasting and mid-week Sabbaths. 

In the revival spirit manifest in the land the 
laymen are taking much interest, and it will be 
more so in the future. A writer placed Jesus 
and His twelve apostles with the laymen and 
says that Paul laid down his parchments as or- 
dained elder before he became missionary to the 
Gentiles. It would not take long if each Chris- 
tian would win a soul per year until the nations 
of the earth would be saved. We must not limit 

82 



PRESENT INDICATIONS 

the Lord as to numbers, but keep on working, 
praying, and expecting, and exercise faith with 
our work. 

We have shown under what discouraging as- 
pects the last century opened, when infidelity 
was prevalent and fashionable, when colleges 
were hotbeds of Atheism, sin, and irreligion. 
The Churches were spiritually dead, and indif- 
ference was stamped on the faces of the people. 
Some Churches had not known a revival in all 
their existence. Vice and immorality were in- 
creasing every day and Christianity was re- 
garded a failure. But the same God who had 
mercy on our country then is ready to help us 
again. 

In the first thirty years of the last century 
there were more than thirty great revivals. Even 
New Haven, Conn., had nine hundred conver- 
sions, and fifteen hundred other towns had fifty 
thousand conversions in five months. Many city 
Churches were founded and hundreds of young 
men attended colleges and entered the ministry. 
Foreign missionary societies came into existence, 
and there was advancement all along the line of 
Christian activity. It is interesting to note that 
the great revival of 1857-8 followed the panic. 
At that time Jeremiah C. Lamphier was led of 
the Lord to start the Fulton Street noon-day 
prayer-meeting. Chicago and other cities fol- 
lowed the good example of New York and Bos- 
ton until a prayer-meeting line extended for two 
thousand miles from Omaha, Neb., to Boston, 
Mass., and soon fifty thousand per week or five 

83 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

hundred thousand in all were converted. Since 
we are now along in the twentieth century, with 
the last religious force spent, feeling the need of 
a new and powerful manifestation of divine life, 
many people of God everywhere are in a prayer- 
ful mood ready to pray, "O Lord, revive Thy 
work." Can the reader doubt that ere long these 
cries will be heard and the great deeps of human 
lives shall be mightily stirred and the world 
shall again know that there is a God. Never 
were the evangelical Churches so united and 
ready for victory as now. Our Nation has glo- 
riously taken its place among the nations of the 
earth, and we fear no foe by land or sea. But 
our grandeur, our large population, our big 
cities, our army and navy, our national wealth 
and standing among the nations are but drops 
in comparison to the divine showers for which 
the present crisis calls. The power of God 
through revival fires must stay the degradation 
and corruption in our national life, or the down- 
fall of this proud Republic is imminent. Is not 
God able for the task, and can He not send a 
twentieth century revival in the form of a new 
Pentecost? He is near enough to be touched 
by prayer and supplication, "for He is always 
on the giving hand." He is ready, but are we 
ready? If there is a delay it is man's fault, who 
will not co-operate with the Holy Spirit. While 
the Church prays for the conversion of sinners, 
let her not forget to pray the Lord to send labor- 
ers into the vineyard so the ripened grain may 

8 4 



PRESENT INDICATIONS 

be gathered into the garners. Are we ready to 
pray for the revival, and are we willing to make 
any sacrifice for Christ? Are we deeply con- 
cerned for the salvation of others, and will we 
say, "Here am I, Lord; send me?" 

Another encouraging sign is the way in 
which the prophecy found in the thirteenth chap- 
ter of Ezekiel and similar prophecies are being 
fulfilled in reference to the Jews. The approxi- 
mate population of the Jews in the world is 
twelve million, scattered among all nations and 
climes. Of this number about two million are 
in the United States, and one-half of this num- 
ber live in New York City, where in one square 
acre there are more than four hundred thousand. 

The Jews control much of the wealth of the 
world. About one-half of the rich people of 
Germany are Jews. Only one out of five hun- 
dred and eighty-six is a day laborer, but six- 
sevenths of the bankers of Prussia are Jews. Of 
the thirty-eight million population of France 
only seventy-two thousand are Jews, yet they 
control the finances of the nation. So in Amer- 
ica the wealth is going into the hands of Jews. 
Not only in finances but in education they show 
leadership. Although the Jews constitute but 
two per cent of the population of Germany, one- 
third of the students of the Berlin University 
are Jews. Austria has three hundred and sev- 
enty authors, and two hundred and twenty-five 
are Jews. Many of the public school teachers 
in New York are said to be Jews. In the United 

85 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

States the Jews own many of the leading news- 
papers. If Judaism were Christianized the world 
could be taken for Christ. 

The New Testament was first printed in He- 
brew in 1885, and since then more than a mil- 
lion copies have been printed and distributed, 
the effect having been so remarkable that thou- 
sands who formerly hated the name of Jesus 
have come to regard Him as a great reformer 
and a good man. The "dry bones" which Eze- 
kiel saw are coming together. Though the great 
movement toward Jerusalem is national rather 
than religious, it still fulfills the prophecy. Con- 
verted Jews are common, and Christian missions 
are springing up in different places. Among the 
converts in our meeting in Berlin was a young 
Jew who proved himself a worthy follower of 
Jesus Christ. 



86 



CHAPTER VIII. 

New Developments Favorable for 
a General Revival. 

A religious newspaper reports that in Phila- 
delphia all the carshops of the Union Traction 
Company were opened for weekly evangelistic 
meetings under the control of the Young Peo- 
ple's Societies. Thirteen of the police stations 
had weekly services under the Philadelphia 
Christian Police Association and the meetings 
were fruitful. 

Rev. J. Campbell White, general secretary of 
the Laymen's Missionary Movement of Canada, 
informs us that the Churches of Canada pursued 
a plan by which an attempt will be made to evan- 
gelize their part of the world in this generation. 
During September and October, 1908, under that 
missionary movement campaigns were held in 
twenty-four of the leading cities of Canada, ex- 
tending from Nova Scotia to Van Couver Is- 
land, a campaign extending four thousand miles 
long and continuing seven weeks. The one ques- 
tion discussed in each of the twenty-four cities 
was, "Will Canada evangelize her share of the 
world?" And the Christian people in each city 

87 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

decided in the affirmative. Seventy-five cities in 
the United States had similar conventions in 
1910. 

The Gospel Song Evangelistic Movement, 
which was organized in Chicago in the winter 
of 1908, comprising about two hundred Churches, 
and under the general direction of a Union Com- 
mittee of pastors of all denominations, belongs to 
the new departments in the world's evangeli- 
zation. 

It is to be hoped that other cities will follow 
the example of Chicago in similar movements. 
The thought of such a movement first came to 
Dr. A. C. Dixon, pastor of the Moody Church. 
Some thirty groups of Churches were formed in 
different parts of the city, representing ten de- 
nominations and averaging about eight Churches 
to each group. Singers were selected in each 
Church and thirty thousand copies of "Selected 
Gospel Hymns" were published for use, and the 
plan was launched without a single paid worker. 
It is well to know that the campaign was started 
with an all-day union service of fasting and 
prayer in the auditorium of the central Young 
Men's Christian Association, and with the Lord's 
sanction the undertaking became a blessing to 
many Churches and people. The campaign ended 
in a conference for Christian Workers, Decem- 
ber 29, 30, 31, 1908. The culmination came in 
the form of a grand watch-night service in the 
Coliseum on New Year's eve. The singing was 
probably never surpassed in any religious gath- 
ering. So large was the number of singers that 

88 



NEW DEVELOPMENTS 

the leader had to shout his directions through a 
megaphone in order to be heard. The speakers 
were among the most successful soul-winners in 
America. The writer had the privilege of sit- 
ting on the platform with a former school-mate 
who occupied a pulpit in Chicago. The sight 
from that elevation was truly a grand one, with 
an audience estimated from ten to twelve thou- 
sand people sitting and standing in the build- 
ing, and we were informed that fully one thou- 
sand were turned away by the police, who had 
strict orders to enforce the police regulations. 
The people were there to engage in the evangel- 
istic meeting and say farewell to 1908 and wel- 
come 1909. 

Rev. A. C. Dixon, D. D., acted as chairman, 
and Dr. D. B. Towner had charge of the Gospel 
Choir of two thousand trained singers, and to- 
gether they glorified God through the medium of 
song. The service began at eight o'clock and 
the first hour and a half w r as given to singing. 
The grand old songs constituting the old-time 
favorites were interspersed with the latest new 
songs. Such songs as "Oh, that will be Glorv," 
"My Anchor Holds/' "Christ Redeemeth Sinful 
Men," "It is Well With My Soul," "He Will 
Hold Me Fast," and "The King's Business" were 
sung with great enthusiasm by all. Then came 
a male chorus of twenty-five voices who sang 
"Who is the King of Glory," followed by a male 
quartette singing "Through the Gates," and Dr. 
Towner sung "Saved by the Blood of the Cruci- 
fied One." Soloists sang selections appropriate 

89 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

for the service. Different speakers gave the gos- 
pel message with a clear ring. 

After each address people were asked to sur- 
render their lives to God, and many did so. Dur- 
ing the last five minutes the officers of the 
Churches, Sunday school teachers, fathers, and 
mothers were asked to rise in groups and sur- 
render themselves to the Lord and His work for 
the coming year, and while the heads were bowed 
m prayer the new year dawned and the vast au- 
dience stood with bowed heads and clasped hands 
and in concert repeated the Lord's Prayer. 

Another favorable indication is the Men's 
Organizations in the cities for religious and re- 
form movements. It has been thought for a long 
time that men can not be reached by the gospel, 
but that doctrine has been exploded. There is 
no special difficulty in getting large crowds of 
men on special occasions during revival services. 
Not only has the writer observed it, but other 
workers have asserted that it is often easier to 
reach men for Christ than women. There is a 
turning of the men in this country toward Christ 
and the Church. The Good Citizens' League, 
civic reform movements, brotherhoods of various 
names, layman's missionary and evangelistic or- 
ganizations, Gideon bands, and other forces have 
joined hands with the Young Men's Christian 
Association, and the Churches thus forming a 
powerful phalanx of men scattered everywhere 
ready to bid defiance to Satan and his hosts. 

Another movement which we bid a hearty 
God-speed is the "Federal Council of the 

90 



NEW DEVELOPMENTS 

Churches of Christ in America." Some have 
criticized the movement, but because it has not 
escaped criticism makes us believe it is of the 
Lord. 

The report of the first meeting held in Phila- 
delphia in December, 1908, is a volume of nearly 
six hundred pages, and furnishes valuable infor- 
mation as to the strength of American Protest- 
antism. The book is of as much interest as the 
volume published three years ago giving the 
proceedings of the Interchurch Conference on 
Federation. Philadelphia must have been favor- 
ably impressed with that great gathering of rep- 
resentative Protestantism, for by an enthusiastic 
and unanimous vote the Ministerial Union of 
that city endorsed the Federation of the Evan- 
gelical Churches in their city. In the twenty- 
three denominations effected by the Federation 
there are not less than twelve hundred represen- 
tatives who represent some seven hundred thou- 
sand persons. 

The object is to secure united action and 
advancements in moral and spiritual movements. 
This is one of the advanced steps in civic and 
moral reforms and will be watched with interest. 
Sin has long been organized in the cities, and it 
is certainly time for the Church to put forth 
her strength. Denominational lines will not al- 
ways be eliminated., but it means the bringing 
into harmonious action the Church of Jesus 
Christ, as shown in Maine and other places. 

Chicago will not be behind in forward move- 
ments, and so the "Chicago Federation of 

9i 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

Churches" convened on January the 4th, 1909, 
at which time President Judson of the Univer- 
sity of Chicago emphasized the good that the 
Federation can do through the elimination of 
the waste of the competitive methods : action to- 
ward abolishing child labor, the purification of 
politics and the direct good that would come to 
the Churches. Dr. Edgar P. Hill voiced the sen- 
timent expressed and said: "Working as we 
have been doing, we could not expect to win the 
city in ten thousand years. We are now co-oper- 
ating in city missions as in foreign fields, and 
sending this denomination here and that one 
there." That is certainly doing good business 
for the Lord. Dr. Mitchell, of St. James Metho- 
dist Episcopal Church, was pleased with ^ the 
progress in the right direction, and thought, "We 
Protestants now face the world with a united 
front." Protestantism is now represented in the 
Juvenile Court in Chicago as one of the fruits 
of the Federation. 

The latest news on the subject comes to us 
from South Africa, where a project has been 
started to unite the Presbyterian, Congregation- 
alism Baptist, and Methodist Churches into one 
body. The outcome of the plan in South Africa 
will be watched with interest. It is to be hoped 
that they will succeed better than the effort in 
Canada to unite the Methodists, Congregational- 
ists, and Presbyterians, or the plan in the United 
States to unite the Congregationalists, Methodist 
Protestants, and the United Brethren Churches, 
or the effort to unite the Presbyterian and the 

92 



NEW DEVELOPMENTS 

Cumberland Presbyterians, or even the repeated 
efforts of joining together the Methodist Epis- 
copal and the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
South. 

Whether a union such as we should like to 
see will be effected or not, all these movements 
are efforts in the right direction. The closer the 
Churches get together the greater their power 
in building up the kingdom of Christ on earth. 
There are certainly many encouraging features 
in our day. The student volunteer movement, 
with such an able leader as John R. Mott, cer- 
tainly has had the sanction of God and can be 
used for great good in the coming world-wide 
revival. 

In addition to what we have written, we 
might mention the facts that Korea had fifty 
thousand conversions in one year; that Japan 
has eleven members in Parliament who are 
avowed Christians; that last year thirty thou- 
sand Korean men and women gathered in the 
large cities of their land to study the Bible ; that 
recently the Czar of Russia gave two thousand 
five hundred dollars for the new Young Men's 
Christian Association building in St. Petersburg; 
that the United States and Canada gave six hun- 
dred and two thousand dollars more than the 
previous year for missionary work. These and 
many more encouraging things show that the 
Lord has not yet deserted His people and that 
better days are certainly coming for this old 
world. May the Lord hasten the day. 



93 



CHAPTER IX. 

Thoughts on Present Day Evan- 
gelism. 

A pupil said to Socrates, "O Socrates, I 
give myself to thee/' With such a grand and 
wonderful outlook will not every reader say, 
"O Christ, I give myself to thee?" Will not 
every reader do something in this great work by 
starting a Prayer Circle, conduct cottage prayer- 
meetings, and join thousands in daily supplica- 
tion and prayer for the coming revival? I im- 
agine I hear many replying, "Yes, you may count 
on me." With the doors open everywhere, in- 
cluding Russia, we should see the world much 
more evangelized in our generation. The Amer- 
ican Board of Foreign Missions, the Young 
People's Society of Christian Endeavor, the 
Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and as 
we have shown the mighty revivals were all born 
in prayer. Let us pray and have faith, and we 
shall not be disappointed. 

The seal of John Calvin was the hand hold- 
ing a heart on fire with the inscription, "I give 
Thee all, and keep nothing back." Frances Rid- 
ley Havergal has been immortalized through her 

94 



PRESENT DAY EVANGELISM 

hymn, "Take my life and let it be consecrated 
Lord to Thee." Mr. Henry Varley said to D. 
L. Moody, in Dublin, Ireland, "The world has 
yet to see what God will do with a man fully- 
surrendered to Him." Livingston's motto was, 
"All for Jesus." Christianity is the religion of 
power, and this power is generated through the 
Holy Spirit. John Easter. Jonathan Edwards, 
Charles G. Finney, D. L. Moody, and many 
others, including pastors, evangelists, and laymen, 
were made a power through the indwelling of 
the Holy Spirit. Every man of prayer in the 
Bible was a man of power, and so it is to-day. 
If Michael Angelo could cut with chisel from 
an old slab of marble that wonderful piece of 
sculpture, "David." which the writer saw in the 
museum in Florence, Italy, and out of another 
slab, "Moses,'" which the writer saw in a cathe- 
dral in Rome, and could paint "The Judgment, ? ' 
which the writer saw in the same city in the art 
gallery of the Vatican ; if James Watts could dis- 
cover the power of steam by watching the lid of 
a teakettle, if Franklin could discover electricity 
by catching lightning in a bottle, if Cyrus W. 
Field could lay the Atlantic cable, if Morse could 
tell us how to use electricity, if Edison can tell 
us how to talk over a telephone, what is God not 
able to do with a human being when made plia- 
ble in His hands ? We have emphasized the fact 
that there is a human and divine element in every 
revival, and with a strong appeal for the Lord's 
people to do their part toward bringing the great 
awakening we shall strongly urge all to join in 

95 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

prayer and take courage from the examples and 
encouragements given in this treatise. 

The law of nature folks who make much of 
the philosophy of prayer are like the young birds 
in the nest. When the mother-bird is killed the 
little ones perish. Hezekiah prayed for health 
and fifteen years were added to his life. David 
prayed for his child, but it died. And thus we 
must understand that, "No good thing will He 
withhold from them that walk upright." Be sure 
your desires are from heaven before you pray. 
God stops at the royal door of the will and can 
not enter without your consent. We should be 
in partnership with God, and then He will do 
the impossible. I do not want to go to the bar 
of God without the scar of war upon me. What 
difference how great the difficulty is, just so 
we conquer. Have a time, or times daily for 
prayer. Form a habit of daily prayer and do 
not let the thought of natural laws or sovereign 
volition trouble you. 

Much might be said in addition about the 
power of prayer. Benjamin Franklin, whose 
equal in some respects can not be found among 
our political forefathers, for to him we are 
largely indebted for our independence, w T hose 
motto was, "United we stand, divided we fall," 
though living under the influence of French in- 
fidelity for years, but having too much brain to 
become an infidel, addressed that memorable con- 
vention where our Republic was to be born into 
the world by saying: "Gentlemen: I am an old 
man of fourscore years; I believe that Provi- 

96 



PRESENT DAY EVANGELISM 

dence guides the affairs of men ; not a sparrow 
can fall to the ground without the Father's notice, 
much less can an empire be organized without 
His aid. I move that we open this convention 
with prayer, petitioning divine favor for guiding 
us." See those men of brain on their knees in 
prayer, with George Washington leading them 
in an audible prayer. Is it any wonder that the 
little Republic lived? This Republic was organ- 
ized in prayer, and the constitution was cradled 
in prayer, and the Ship of State was launched 
with the hand of prayer. It was easy for those 
men to sign the Declaration of Independence 
after prayer for guidance. George Washington 
frequently took his refuge to God in prayer 
while at Valley Forge. Abraham Lincoln fol- 
lowed the good example of the father of this 
Republic, for during Gettysburg's mighty battle, 
on the plains of Pennsylvania, he went repeatedly 
apart to pray and asked Bishop Matthew Simp- 
son to help him pray. William McKinley was 
a man of prayer, and after much prayer to God 
following the blowing up of the Maine, he 
gave orders and our war with Spain was of short 
duration, because God heard prayer. I felt while 
speaking to President McKinley in the White 
House that he was indeed my brother. 

To-day the character, strength, and manhood 
of this Republic are invested in men who kneel 
daily in prayer. Jesus Christ, the man of prayer, 
puts us to shame by going night after night into 
solitude to pray. He never undertook a great 
miracle without prayer. The disciples at the foot 
7 97 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

of the Mount of Transfiguration could not cast 
the devil out of the boy because of the lack of 
prayer, but Jesus was able for the task. One 
little devil can keep a prayerless Church in dark- 
ness. When the trolley wheel is off the wire 
the power is broken, thus our connection with 
Christ is of great importance. Prayer fits for 
suffering, as in the case of Jesus on the Mount 
and in Gethsemane. 

There can be no awakening of the Church 
unless it is asleep. The Church is not asleep in 
social, business, or financial lines, but it is asleep 
from the spiritual side. There is a lack of in- 
terest in the prayer-meetings, Sunday schools, 
Church attendance, and in revival interests, Bible 
study and family religion. 

The revival of 1800 could not be reproduced 
in 1900 by all the prayers of the Church. Do 
not pray for a repetition of any one of the for- 
mer great revivals, for they will not return any 
more than the battle of Waterloo or Gettys- 
burg will be fought a second time. Nettleton 
preached on the awfulness of the judgment of 
God, and for ten to twelve days would preach 
before giving an invitation for sinners. He at 
first aroused the Church to activity. He fright- 
ened men into the kingdom; Finney drove them 
in through seas of agony wrought by the Holy 
Spirit, while Moody lured them from sin to God. 
God makes His own revival in His own way and 
time. A revival means to make war upon 
Satan's kingdom and establish believers. Some 
people say that the world is better than ever, 

98 



PRESENT DAY EVANGELISM 

while others assert that the world is growing 
worse daily. A writer says, "God has no more 
use for a pessimist than a homeopathic doctor 
has for calomel." 

The Church of Jesus Christ has departed 
more from prayer than from other good usages. 
Doctor Torrey says, "Prayer can do anything 
God can do, and as God can do anything, prayer 
is omnipotent." Abel Clary and Father Nash 
prayed by the hour while Finney preached, and 
that was the secret of Finney's success. Not the 
preaching but the praying will bring blessings. 
Albert Lunde in Norway and Evan Roberts in 
Wales are examples of God's plan through hu- 
man agency. To lay the foundation for a re- 
vival we must subordinate everything, custom, 
style, business, and every barrier. 

This is the age of conferences for Bible study, 
and organizations for missionary and evangel- 
istic enterprises. But the power of darkness is 
asserting itself with great boldness. We are in- 
formed that great congregations gather in Paris 
and in other cities to worship demons. Evan- 
gelism must therefore bring the Evangel or 
gospel in reach of the unsaved in all lands, and 
build up Christ's kingdom. To evangelize is the 
duty of every Christian. The evangelization of 
our time must be the same as in the Apostolic 
days. In that day individuals were won by in- 
dividuals, and thus personal evangelism is our 
mission to-day. 

We believe much could be done through the 
schools and seminaries in preparing pastors for 

99 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

more aggressive evangelistic work. Many pas- 
tors underestimate their evangelistic gifts since 
they have not been developed. Not only should 
future pastors be trained for soul-winning, but 
the Church should found schools for the training 
of evangelists similar to the schools of the 
prophets mentioned in the Old Testament. Such 
schools as the Moody Bible School, Chicago, and 
the Bible training school in New York should 
be more numerous. We believe a brighter day 
is dawning and that such schools would be an 
inspiration toward a general awakening. 

We are now entering upon a period of per- 
sonal evangelism as never before, but much more 
is needed. Business men should win their asso- 
ciates, parents their children, and friends their 
neighbors. Bible study and prayer will help to 
train these walking evangelists. 

To win souls the individual life must be 
right. The life in society must be right, and the 
whole being must be consecrated to Christ, and 
every sin must be put away. We must die to 
self that Christ may be all and in all. Having 
laid the foundation well we may widen the scope 
and take in reform movements, social injustice, 
and all kinds of wrong. Evangelism must mean 
more than a call to repentance or accepting 
Christ, for that is but the beginning. 

To study the Bible and pray without ceasing 
is not sufficient, for we must act. The speaker 
must feel that people are lost without Christ. 
As a Scotch woman said of Robert Murray 
McCheyenne, "The man preaches as if he w r as 

joo 



PRESENT DAY EVANGELISM 

a-dying to have you converted." Every pastor 
can be a soul-winner in his parish by living the 
right kind of private life and prayer life, for 
without prayer no power and no success need 
be expected. The minister in order to be a soul- 
winner must also observe his public and his 
pulpit life. It is not sensational but gospel 
preaching that tells and holds and builds up. 
The sermon should be preached to ourselves 
first, for if it fails to move us it will not move 
others. Mr. Spurgeon said, "True preaching is 
artesian, it wells up from great depths." 

The Church must be evangelistic, as seen in 
Math. 28:16-20, Mark 16:15-20, Luke 24:46- 
49, Acts 2: 1-4. Christ is the head and we are 
the members of the body. When the old Scotch 
minister added Robert Moffatt to his member- 
ship he did not know that through him he prac- 
tically added a continent to the kingdom of God. 
The Church should be organized for work. The 
young people should be enlisted as well as the 
old people. There should be evangelistic serv- 
ices and decision days for the Sunday schools. 
An unorganized, cold Church will not win souls. 
Christ must be preached in all His power and 
fullness, and the Church should follow the 
preaching. The instruction to the inquirers 
should be simple. Isaiah 53 : 5, 6, may be used 
with success by making the pronoun personal. 

There should be absolute harmony between 
the pastor and his people. Laymen have occu- 
pied prominent places in Bible history. Only 
three Apostles are named in the Acts after 
101 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

Pentecost, but five laymen become prominent 
in missionary work. If only the laity will pray 
much the preachers will preach well. While 
preaching in a large Church of one thousand 
members in Amsterdam, Holland, the Official 
Board and the pastor would gather with me in 
the vestry before every service to pray, and the 
preaching went easy through the pastor as my 
interpreter, and was not without direct results. 
This would be a good custom to follow in all 
Churches. 

Instead of Churches closing their doors on 
Sunday nights during the summer season, serv- 
ices should be held in front of the churches, 
followed by after-services in the churches. 
Services should be held in the parks, on fair- 
grounds, on docks, in the slums, and everywhere 
where congregations can be gathered. Some of 
the most blessed services were those in Rotter- 
dam, Holland, when I preached in the midnight 
missions with about twenty Christian workers 
around me. One of the most inspiring services 
to me was a Saturday night meeting in Water 
Street Mission, New York. It should not be 
beneath any preacher's dignity to preach in the 
street or anywhere in order to reach the unsaved. 
Such men as Peter the Hermit, Carey the Mis- 
sionary, Clarkston the friend of the slaves, 
Howard the prison reformer, and others, who 
stood single-handed but with God, were victori- 
ous in well-doing. So let us to-day be firm and 
immovable in our purpose. 

I02 



PRESENT DAY EVANGELISM 

An awakening is needed, and we believe it 
is coming. The field is white to harvest, and 
God is looking for the reapers. Are you ready 
and will you go? I imagine I hear the reader 
say, "Yes, here am I; send me/' Do not say, 
"Here am I ; send my neighbor," but let it be, 
"Here am I ; send me." 

The Lord is so much in need of co-laborers 
that He selects His helpers and workers from the 
following classes: 

He uses Kings: 2 Chron. 29:1-3; 2 Sam. 
3:18; Acts 13:22. Prophets: 1 Kings 18:21- 
39; 2 Kings 5. Nobles: Neh. 3:9. Princesses: 
Ex. 2:5, 6, 9, 10. The rich: Matt. 27:57-60; 
Luke 19: 1-6. The strong: Jud. 13:24; Jud. 
15:14, 15. The wise: Ex. 28:3; Ex. 36:1; 
Matt. 2:1. Old men: Luke 2:25, 26; Phile- 
mon 9. Young men: 2 Chron. 34:3-7; 1 Sam. 
17:42-50. Old women: Luke 2:36, 37. Young 
women: Luke 10:38-42; Mark 14:3-9. Boys: 
1 Sam. 2: 11; 1 Sam. 3: 1-19; 2 Chron. 24: 1-5. 
Babes: Matt. 18: 1-4; Matt. 21 : 15, 16. Doctors: 
Luke 1 : 1-4; 2 Chron. 34: 1, 2. Girls: Ex. 2:4, 
7, 8; 2 Kings 5:2-4. Soldiers: Acts 10: I, 2, 
30, 31; Matt. 8:5-13. Farmers: Judges 6: 11- 
16. Shepherds: 1 Sam. 16: n-13; Luke 2:8-17. 
Mechanics: Ex. 31 : 1-5 ; Neh. 3:8; Acts 18: 1-3. 
Fishermen: Matt. 4: 18-22; Luke 5: 10, 11. 
Tax-gatherers: Matt. 9:9; Luke 19:2, 5, 6. 
Widows: Mark 12:42, 43; Luke 21:3; 1 Kings 
17:9, 13. Servants: Titus 2:9, 10 ; Eph. 6 : 5, 6. 
The ignorant: 1 Cor. 1:27; Acts 4:13. The 
103 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

poor: James 2:5. The despised: 1 Cor. 1:28; 
1 Cor. 4: 10. To all classes and conditions comes 
the command of Matt. 21 : 28. 

"Let none hear you idly saying, 

There is nothing I can do; 
While the souls of men are dying, 

And the Master calls for you. 
Take the task He gives you gladly, 

Let His will your pleasure be: 
When He calls then answer quickly, 

'Here am I, send me, send me !' ' 

While waiting for dinner, on a tour through 
the Alps in Switzerland, I had taken my seat 
on nature's carpet, in the form of thick moss 
upon an elevation, and saw at a distance of three 
or four miles a mighty avalanche of snow and 
ice come down the mountain side, roaring like 
heavy thunder, and leaving behind it a white 
streak extending far down into the valley. One 
crash after another followed in the Alps sur- 
rounding me, and the mighty showers of snow 
and ice rolled and tumbled, causing the most 
sublime impressions, until I could not help but 
praise the God of nature for such display of 
majesty, power, and grandeur. The Alps are a 
great object of interest to all Europe. One 
single bookstore there has, according to its cata- 
logue, 1,478 works on the Alps. The German 
schools and universities send students in the Alps 
with a case for flowers, a net for butterflies, and 
a box for bugs. They speak of the "Snow- 
Mountains" with ardent affection. 

104 



PRESENT DAY EVANGELISM 

Avalanches always precede a change in the 
weather. Heavy showers of rain follow the 
rushing, roaring, exciting avalanches. So in the 
spiritual world. We have had the avalanches, 
and so we are now waiting for the showers. 
Soon the rain came down on me in torrents, fol- 
lowing the avalanches. So I am expecting the 
"Showers of Blessing" to come from heaven. 

There is no question but that the world is to 
witness a fierce conflict between light and dark- 
ness, sin and holiness, ere the final triumph of 
truth is attained, and in this conflict we of this 
generation will be expected to act an important 
part. To you and others of this age the world 
is looking with hope and expectation, and if there 
is anything valuable in the liberties purchased 
and secured by blood, anything sacred in the do- 
mestic constitution, or sublime or inspiring in 
the truths of Christianity, that hope must not be 
disappointed. In this day of political, civic, and 
moral reform, we want men worth their weight 
in gold at the head of our law-making bodies. 
I should like to have every courthouse, every 
State capital, and the Senate and the House of 
Representatives in Washington decorated with 
the following wall-mottoes in large gold letters: 

On the right wall this sentence of Hon. 
William E. Gladstone : "It should be the duty of 
a Government to make it easy for a people 
to do right and difficult to do wrong." On the 
left wall this sentence of Sir Edward Burke: 
"What is morally wrong can never be made 
politically right." Upon the rear wall this sen- 

105 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

tence of Henry Clay: "I would rather be right 
than President of the United States." Over the 
head of the moderator those words of Solomon: 
"Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is the 
reproach of any people." A little lower down 
on the right wall these words of Wendell Phil- 
lips: "If I am to love my country it must be 
lovable ; if I am to honor it, it must be worthy of 
respect." Lower down on the left wall this 
sentence of Abraham Lincoln: "With malice 
toward none, and with charity for all." 

We want patriots whose love of country shall 
be a holy passion, free from the alloy of self- 
seeking statesmen, whose incorruptible integrity 
shall be unstained by the breath of suspicion and 
bribery, and Christians whose benevolence shall 
encircle the globe. Men we want ; not office 
seekers in ecclesiastical or political circles. Let 
us have men and women in the real sense of the 
word, who shall understand their high mission 
in life. 

After visiting the countries in Europe in my 
mission work, and studying the various condi- 
tions, I came to the conclusion that the sun never 
shone upon another nation in which existed so 
happy a combination of causes tending to na- 
tional unity, prosperity, and perpetuity as in our 
Nation. Had these influences existed in the 
ancient nations and republics, we would not now 
look upon their crumbled ramparts, and while 
they exist in this Republic it will continue to 
grow in unity, virtue, and glory. Deep thoughts 
of solemnity filled my heart as I entered the little 

106 



PRESENT DAY EVANGELISM 

house in Philadelphia where Betsy Ross made 
the first emblem of our Republic, this beautiful 
flag of stars and stripes. I have seen the flags 
floating over other countries, but this one stands 
for more than any other. Even while traveling 
in Russia I was told I need not fear, as the Gov- 
ernment would treat me with more kindness 
than its own subject, since I was protected by 
the Stars and Stripes. All the countries visited 
seemed to have the highest respect for our coun- 
try. This beloved country of ours is for many 
reasons God's favored country, and with its be- 
neficent principles of government, its happy 
homes, its schoolhouses, its printing presses, its 
tramway and Churches, giving full sway to the 
blessed influence of the gospel, this great Repub- 
lic will meet the unborn generations of the on- 
coming centuries as the star of the West, the land 
of the loyal, the liberty loving, and the free. 
Thus shall we continue to lead the nations on- 
ward to the goal of earthly progress and the full 
establishment of the kingdom of Christ by send- 
ing missionaries to all parts of the world until 
He, the "King of kings" and "Lord of Lords" 
shall come to claim His own. 

Let me give you one day of experience in 
mountain climbing, which may help you to 
ascend the rugged hill to a successful prayer life. 
While in mission work in Switzerland I decided 
one Saturday to climb the Saentis Mountain near 
Herisau. I left on an early train and soon found 
myself in Appenzel, the station near the foot of 
the mountain. The mountain has an elevation 
107 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

of 7,512 feet, and is usually covered with snow. 
The day I made the ascent the snow had largely 
disappeared, and though I had no guide in the 
form of a human being, I succeeded in reaching 
the summit in less than five hours. Some kind 
person had placed red marks with a paint brush 
on the rocks all the way up, showing the course 
that one must follow in order to reach the top 
of the mountain. After I had reached the sum- 
mit I could see the snow-capped mountains and 
valleys in Austria and Switzerland, producing a 
panorama which can not be painted by any artist. 
After I had been there for about an hour, feast- 
ing my eyes on the sight spread out all around 
me, the fog clouds rolled out over the mountain, 
and soon everything was enveloped. One hour 
later would have made my heavy task a useless 
undertaking. On the way back I lost sight of 
the red sign on account of the snow, and while 
taking my course toward a glacier the people on 
the summit saw me losing the way and called to 
go farther to the left and follow the red sign. 
Climbing over rocks I soon found my way in 
safety, singing as I went, and listening to the 
echo as it died away in the distant mountains. 
My friends, follow the red mark of the blood of 
the atonement and you will succeed. 



108 



CHAPTER X. 

A Call to Prayer for a Great 
Awakening. 

In the language of the Master let us believe 
that according to our faith it shall be done unto 
us. Will not our Father and our God, the giver 
of all good and perfect gifts, the Creator of the 
Universe, in whose hands are laid the destiny 
of the nations and the affairs of the world in 
which we live, the author and finisher of our 
faith, help us in the greatest of all battles ever 
fought on earth ? Dare we go on one step farther 
at this time without insisting, yea, pleading with 
Him in prayer and supplication for His help and 
guidance? Just here I must make a strong plea 
for a united effort in the language of the psalm- 
ist, "Behold how good and how pleasant it is 
for brethren to dwell together in unity." It is 
necessary that we pray God to give us the true 
spirit of unity, for, "In union there is strength/' 
The battle in which we, as soldiers of the cross, 
are engaged will be more fierce than any in 
which the armies of the earth ever engaged. It 
will therefore not do for any evangelical 
Church to withdraw from the army at this time, 
109 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

but let the right and left wing, and middle front 
as well as flank, all move together toward the 
enemies' stronghold. 

It would be much easier for us to get the 
victory if we could see the enemy. Jesus Christ, 
the Prince of Peace, is the captain of our hosts, 
and Satan, the prince of the power of the air, 
with innumerable hosts of demons and evil 
spirits, is the rebel against Christ's kingdom. 

The battle will be a hard fought battle. If we 
could see the weapons with which our enemies 
will meet us, the victory would be easier, but all 
is dark and mysterious. Our guide book for this 
battle simply says, "We wrestle not against flesh 
and blood, but against principalities, against 
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of 
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high 
places." How dare we go into this battle with- 
out a united effort and having done all to stand 
our ground? We are commanded to "girt our 
loins with Truth, and put on the breastplate of 
righteousness, to have our feet shod with the 
preparation of peace, and above all, take the 
shield of faith," and then we know the victory 
is ours. 

There has been a great deal of organizing 
and planning for revivals in this country. We 
have read and heard of leaders, generals, and 
organizers in revivals, but in this revival we want 
Christ as our General, the Holy Spirit as our 
leader, and God alone shall have all the glory. 
Many will be crying in these prayer circles, at 
the family altars, and in the secret places, as the 

no 



A GREAT AWAKENING 

psalmist of old, "Wilt Thou not revive us again, 
that Thy people may rejoice in Thee?" Many 
tears are in "God's battles." God will make glad 
the hearts of His ministering servants, fathers, 
mothers, sons, daughters, husbands, wives, Sun- 
day school workers, and members of young 
peoples' organizations over the conversions of 
loved ones all over this country and the world. 
The God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, 
Elijah, Elisha, the prophets, and the disciples will 
help us. He who sent before His people Israel 
the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night 
will guide us. Some of us feel to exclaim with 
the psalmist, "For the zeal of Thine house hath 
eaten me up." Therefore, "Hear me, O Lord, 
for Thy loving kindness is good; turn unto me 
according to the multitude of Thy tender mercy, 
and hide not Thy face from Thy servant; for I 
am in trouble, hear me speedily." We as a Na- 
tion might cry out in the language of the psalm- 
ist when he said, "Will the Lord cast off forever ; 
does His promise fail forever more ; Hath God 
forgotten to be gracious? Hath He in anger 
shut up His tender mercies ?" Will the God who 
clave the rocks in the wilderness to yield water 
and gave His people drink, and sent manna from 
Heaven, and who sent awakenings and times of 
refreshing in the days of Elijah, Samuel, Joshua, 
the Judges, Habakkuk, at Pentecost, in the days 
of the Apostles, during the lives of Luther, 
Knox, Wesley, Whitefield, Finney, Edwards, 
Moody forsake us? Will He not kindle a 
heavenly fire in this Nation that shall spread in 
in 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

all directions, across the Canadian line, west to 
the Pacific, and east to the Atlantic? Will He 
not use this Nation as never before to evangelize 
the world? Will He not endow ministers, evan- 
gelists, and Christian workers anew with burn- 
ing messages for the special revival seasons, so 
that all Churches shall put on new power and 
zeal? Would it not be an easy thing for God 
to save millions of souls within the near future? 
To all these questions our God is able to answer, 
"Yes, you may have all for the asking." For this 
reason we want Prayer Circles organized all over 
this country, to pray down God's kind of re- 
vivals. 

God w r ants, and we want a revival that will 
cause deep remorse of conscience and true re- 
pentance over sins of omission and commission, 
causing restitution, and the restoration of peace 
and harmony in homes, in Churches, in society, 
between capital and labor; a revival that will 
reach the board of trade in the cities, city officers, 
and extend to the Senate and House of Repre- 
sentatives in the States, and reach Congress in 
Washington, and which will be a blessing to every 
inhabitant of this country, from the humblest 
citizen to the chief executive of the Nation. With 
the psalmist we feel to exclaim, "Arise and have 
mercy upon Zion ; for the time to favor her, yea, 
the set time, is come. When the Lord shall build 
up Zion He shall appear in His glory. He will 
regard the prayer of the destitute and not de- 
spise their prayer." O servants and children of 
our God, all over this country, take down the 

112 



A GREAT AWAKENING 

harps from the willows, for they have been 
breaking down with the harps of discouraged 
pastors and people. Then will the revival come 
that shall reach cities, rural districts, large 
Churches, small Churches, schoolhouses, private 
homes, halls, tabernacles, tents, in fact it will go 
everywhere until this Nation is ablaze with the 
power of God, and He w T ill use many pi the 
secular newspapers and periodicals and the re- 
ligious newspapers and periodicals in this coun- 
try to spread the revival fire, until all the earth 
shall be filled with the glory of God. 

If this Nation can be brought down low at 
the foot of the cross in deep humility before God, 
and in earnest prayer, the revival will come. The 
writer is fully persuaded that if Prayer Circles 
are organized all over the country on the three 
conditions given, that this Nation will soon wit- 
ness the most thorough and far-reaching revival 
ever known in its history. 

The God who forgave the Israelites for their 
idolatry, and gave His help to govern those stub- 
born and at times unruly people ; He who heard 
Moses while praying for his successor; He who 
heard Nehemiah while praying for protection 
against Sanballad and Tobiah while rebuilding 
the walls of Jerusalem; He who heard Solomon 
while praying for wisdom to govern Israel, and 
revealed His glory at the dedication of Solo- 
mon's temple; He who spoke with Abraham 
about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; 
He who heard Daniel and protected him in the 
lion's den ; He who heard David while he prayed 

8 113 



THE TWENTIETH CENTURY REVIVAL 

for a clean heart, and at other times; He who 
heard Elijah on Mt. Carmel; He who heard 
Elisha when he prayed that the eyes of his 
servant might be opened to see the heavenly 
hosts about him; He who heard Ezekiel inter- 
ceding for his people; He who answered the 
prayer of Habakkuk for a revival ; He who heard 
Hezekiah while ill unto death; He who heard 
Jacob on the memorable night before meeting 
his brother Esau ; He who heard Jeremiah in 
time of the famine, and at other times for com- 
fort and protection ; He who heard the prayer 
of Joshua for the sun to stand still, and at 
another time to reveal Achan's sin; He who 
heard the Apostles for more faith, will hear our 
supplications. The Christ who heard the prayer 
of the father for his son; Jarius for his little 
daughter ; blind Bartimaeus for sight ; the Prodi- 
gal Son for pardon; the Samaritan woman for 
forgiveness ; the leper for cleansing ; the Cen- 
turion for his servant; the penitent thief on the 
cross; the prayer of Stephen for the forgiveness 
of his enemies, will hear us, and is able and 
willing to send the revival which He knows this 
country needs. Thou, O Christ, the man of 
prayer, lead us into Gethsemane and teach us 
to pray, and help us to be submissive and bring 
us into that union with Thyself and the Father, 
as Thou didst pray in the seventeenth chapter of 
John. And in harmony with the triune God, 
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, victory is ours, 
and songs of joy shall be heard all over the land, 
and we will join with the psalmist in saying, 

114 



A GREAT AWAKENING 

"Sing unto God. Sing praises unto His name; 
extol Him that rideth upon the heavens. Blessed 
be the Lord God, the God of Israel,, who only 
doeth wonderful things, " Let all the people who 
feel to bless His name for ever and ever, and 
want the whole earth to be filled with His glory 
say. Amen and Amen. 

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stead- 
fast, immovable, always abounding in the work 
of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your 
labor is not in vain in the Lord." — i Cor, 15 : 58. 

"And they that be wise shall shine as the 
brightness of the firmament; and they that turn 
many to righteousness as the stars for ever and 
ever." — Dan. 12 : 3. 



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